Third Wave Coffee
Here’s a quick coffee history lesson for you
First Wave!
Back in the 1960s, coffee consumption began to grow exponentially. As global trade picked up, coffee was one of the main beneficiaries of the boom. For the first time, coffee became widely accessible. Consumers suddenly had the option of drinking Indonesian coffee in their suburban Californian home. This marked the first wave.
The focus was convenience!
Common Signs of First Wave Coffee:
- Artificially or “naturally” flavored beans
- Language of “premium” or “gourmet”
- Primarily pre-ground offerings
- Super dark, bitter coffee
- The supermarket coffee aisle
Second Wave!
The second wave came with an increase in the quality of coffee readily available. Cafe’s starting popping up and big companies — such as Starbucks — started running cafe’s as profitable businesses. Coffee suddenly became much more than the liquid you drank at home. It became the liquid you drank at the city.
They started publishing origin countries and began exploring higher-quality coffee, they focused on the experience of drinking coffee.
Starbucks (as much as I hate them) pioneered what was once considered “specialty coffee drinks” in the US by mixing espresso shots with sweet, flavorful syrups and other ingredients. The emphasis still wasn’t really on the coffee, but the creative drink, the mood lighting, and friendly baristas.
And people loved it.
Common Signs of Second Wave Coffee:
- Heavy focus on flavored drinks
- Fairly dark, bitter coffee
- The supermarket coffee aisle
- Slight recognition of coffee origin country
- Baristas who are passionate about the cafe, but not the beans themselves
Third Wave!
Third wave coffee evolved from a niche community in the 1980’s that was highly focused on the coffee beans. This small group of roasters and cafes was experimenting with lighter roast levels and bringing new, exotic flavors out of well-grown coffees.
In 1982, the Specialty Coffee Association of America was founded, giving a platform to this new style of roasting and brewing. Fast forward to modern day. The phrase “third wave” has evolved in the coffee industry, and is now more commonly referred to as “specialty coffee”.
Common Signs of Third Wave Coffee:
- Specific flavor notes (eg. sweetness, flowers, and acidity)
- Lighter roast profiles
- Latte art
- Single origin (single farm, estate) beans
- High degree of origin transparency
- Manual brewing methods like pour over cones and french presses
- Freshness transparency by publishing specific roast dates
