Espresso: the only way to properly consume coffee, if one believes the claims of Italian tradition. Many of us are familiar with the intense, concentrated coffee because of the boom associated with large coffee chains in the 1990s, which in some settings gave it an aura of superiority over other “inferior” forms of coffee. While we think this notion is far from true, espresso does deserve its place in the world of specialty coffee for being a spectacle-laden method of extracting unique flavors from coffee and presenting it in strong, concentrated preparations. This experience will be a rare chance to taste several different styles of espresso and to learn about its history and preparation (as well as, perhaps, its limitations.) We hope you will join us for a morning hour of fine coffee and education.

Featuring coffees from our friends at Passenger Coffee, this experience will mark the third time that “Introduction to Coffee Tasting” has been offered at Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse; each time, attendees are surprised at the wide spectrum of flavors afforded in specialty coffee, ranging from elegant florality and vibrant juiciness to rich caramel notes and complex bitterness.

This experience will feature coffees from our partners at Moonwake Coffee Roasters in San Jose, Ca. We have been fans of Moonwake and the cutting-edge coffees they select for the menu for several years now, and were thrilled this year when we were able to present their coffees with our customers.

This experience will feature coffees from Hydrangea Coffee Roasters on the basis of our newly formed partnership; we look forward to introducing their coffees to our menu in the near future. Based in Berkeley, Ca, Hydrangea is consistently impressive in the variety of unique and sought-after coffees that grace their menu and in the quality of their roasting.

SEY Coffee is a world-class roastery in Brooklyn, NY, with a special focus on clean, traditionally processed coffees that showcase the unique attributes of the conditions in which they were grown. Over the years, SEY has consistently received critical acclaim for their talent of sourcing and roasting immaculate coffees. Their constantly-shifting menu of beautiful seasonal offerings is a perfect compliment for the vision of Uncloud Coffee.

Perhaps this sounds familiar to you: you enjoy a cup of coffee at a cafe, and decide to purchase a bag of coffee beans from the shop to enjoy at home. When you brew it at home, however, you come to find that it simply doesn’t taste nearly as delicious as it did in the cafe; this is likely is not your imagination. For better or for worse, brewing delicious coffee is often not as simple as we think it is, but the good news is that there are simple changes you can make to improve your coffee exponentially.