Ahhh festivals ... always a great chance to keep up with the specialty coffee community and take a look (pardon us ... taste!) at what's brewing around the world.
As our team was quite busy with a Kickstarter campaign we ran for an EQUA smart water bottle (there are more early-bird opportunities to catch HERE if you feel you're falling back on your hydration), only a small part of our team took the trip to Amsterdam - our creative director Anja Sečnik and GINA's father Luka Pirnat, who cruised the festival throughout and came back to our office invigorated with fresh news and gossip from the specialty coffee world.
Luka Pirnat, head of product design at GOAT STORY and GINA's father 😎
OK, so it was a fun trip for us this time, feeling like tourists in the world of coffee, but still, there was a lil' bit of work to be done as well, as our smart coffee instrument (
GINA, you've met her for sure) was showcased in a few places on the festival. But mostly, we just had to visit the festival, as Luka was giving a presentation of GINA's magic along with Winnie Goede from
Trabocca. And it was something that was not to be missed, as Trabocca served a kick-ass range of coffees - 91, 90, and 89 scoring lots from their first Operation Cherry Red Auction! And their brewer of choice was ... (oh shucks ...)
GINA.
Winnie Goede from Trabocca having fun with her gear&coffees!
But ... what is the Operation Cherry Red Auction that took place on the 31st of May? New regulations within the Ethiopian market allow for increased traceability and transparency, and smallholder farmers now have the ability to export their coffees directly. This is a great step forward and the Trabocca team felt the need to recognize this monumental breakthrough properly by holding an auction to celebrate. KUDOS! Let's all work together to bring a better life to the farmers that give us these enjoyable beans we all get our kick from!
Of course, we couldn't miss a chance to visit our friends at STOW Specialty Coffee Roasters who introduced a variety of their roasts, along with a Ninety+ Geisha, a WBC specialty coffee that amazed us. And their Ethiopia Gelana Abaia with that strawberry note that amazed the public at WOC Amsterdam. Oh, did we mention it's our go-to roast at the moment and we use it in our office for espresso and filter coffee?
All in all, Amsterdam was a blast. Being more of a trade-oriented event, we enjoyed the mellow and relaxed atmosphere (compared to specialty coffee on steroids that can be experienced at more public events like the London Coffee Festival) and it gave us a chance to gather new ideas, make new friends and see what the specialty coffee world is up to. Oh, and of course, we got to taste some awesome coffee.
With impressions from Amsterdam still very alive, we're already looking forward to future events!
Cheers!
