Coffee is a fundamental drink in human life, there are those who say that its first appearance was in Ethiopia approximately two thousand years ago when a shepherd noticed his flock a little excited after eating some cherries from a coffee tree. However, the first evidence of roast and ground coffee consumption dates back to the fifteenth century in Arabia.
Around the 1800s, coffee became an industrial product, increasing its commercial value to the world. This mystical and aromatic drink has captivated man for generations, adapting to new forms of consumption. In 2002, Trish Rothgeb determined three historical stages to understand the evolution of coffee, giving them the name "waves".
First wave (1800-1970)
The Industrial Revolution was about to end and the life of man to globalize, like many other products that were becoming part of world consumption. Coffee becomes a commodity, its consumption growing at exponential levels.
The first wave is characterized by not considering the issue of coffee quality, treatment or origin to be relevant. In 1938 the first soluble coffee is launched by Nestlé in Switzerland, becoming a basic product for home consumption, as it is a basic, soluble drink, with a long shelf life, in addition to having the energizing effect it generates. the caffeine.
Among the leading brands in the market at this time are: Nescafé, Folgers, Mr. Coffee, Maxwell house, Satori Kato, Hill Bros, to name a few.
Second Wave (1970-2000)
Starbucks creates a revolution and with its influence the coffee culture is transformed, in two guidelines:
Grain differentiation.
Coffee shop as a meeting point
The consumer discovers "the coffee experience" derived from a greater appreciation of the quality and origin of the coffee beans, as well as the importance of the correct preparation of the drink.
The increase in its consumption was such that the industry dedicated to the sale of alcoholic beverages presented a drop in its sales and the opening of new cafeterias was a boom.
The “coffee experience” was determined by a change in the architecture and design of coffee shops as cozy spaces, expensive drinks and new recipes to prepare it such as Frappuccino.
Some of the companies that marked this wave are: Starbucks, SCAA, Peet's, George Howell, among others.
In this wave the coffee roasts are more bitter and intense, the representative products of this wave are our Italian, high and natural decaffeinated roasts.
Third Wave (2000 to date)
Coffee begins to be appreciated for its cultivation and production processes, notes of origin, quality and grain varieties. In this wave we find a more sophisticated consumer, who can identify the quality of a wine and a coffee just by tasting it. The origin, cultivation method, roasting and preparation are decisive in the final result, that is: the cup of coffee.
The barista begins to train at a professional level after years of preparation, being the highest degree of expert Q grader, the only one empowered to evaluate the quality of a coffee. In other words, the great determinant of this wave is the degree of specialization.
On the other hand, the concept of traceability is beginning to gain relevance, being linked to the general conditions of coffee cultivation, passing through the producers and living conditions of the producing societies, and sustainable practices.
Some say that there is already a fourth wave of coffee that goes even deeper into the expertise and degree of specialization in preparation methods and techniques, cultivation processes, fermentation, storage and even in the water used in its preparation.
In turn, there are those who point out that the fourth wave has fair trade and sustainable production as a priority.
As part of our understanding and interest in coffee, we have developed a range of products derived from this wave, within them you will find the medium roast and house blend, for those adventurers looking for new culinary experiences, and our light roast, aimed at baristas. or experienced coffee growers with extraction methods.
