Events

Latte Art Workshop - The Perfect Pour 📅 Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday, June 20 3 pm - 5 pm Join us for an engaging two-hour workshop that brings the artistry of latte creation to life! Designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike, this hands-on class dives into the essentials of milk steaming and latte art pouring. 🌟 What You’ll Learn: Milk Chemistry Made Simple: Discover how steam, aeration, and temperature work together to create silky, micro-foamy milk every time. Steaming Techniques: Master the mechanics of an espresso machine and practice creating that perfect velvety texture for all your milk-based beverages. Latte Art Fundamentals: Explore the techniques behind pouring beautiful hearts, tulips, rosettas, and your own creative designs. You’ll get plenty of time to practice steaming and pouring milk beverages under expert guidance. Starting with whole cow’s milk, we’ll explore alternative mylks (if time allows), highlighting the brands that work best and offering tips for steaming plant-based options. ☕ Extra Perks: Learn about proper hygiene and safe use of steam wands – because safety is key, and burns are not part of the recipe! Pour into elegant notNeutral ceramics and glassware to perfect your presentation. Whether you’re dreaming of crafting café-quality drinks at home or looking to hone your barista skills, this workshop is your gateway to the world of latte artistry. Let’s make some magic in every pour!

Roasting Intermediate – SCA Certificate Course This two-day course is ideal for coffee professionals seeking to refine their roasting technique and deepen their understanding of how the roast profile affects flavor. Building on the foundational skills from Roasting Foundation, this course introduces more advanced concepts including heat transfer, development time, and the relationship between profile curves and sensory outcomes. Students will analyze roast data, explore physical and chemical changes during roasting, and gain hands-on experience adjusting profiles for consistency and quality. The course also includes an introduction to sample roasting and reinforces essential safety and maintenance practices. Perfect for working roasters, QC leads, and those preparing for the Professional level.

Drawing Life: Live Figure Drawing 📅  Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Thursday, June 26 | 3 pm – 6 pm Step away from the espresso machine and into the studio for a special evening of creativity and connection. Drawing Life is a live figure drawing session co-hosted by local artist and educator Johanna Schumacher—a new kind of experience at Pacific Coffee Research that invites you to slow down, observe, and explore the human form through art. Whether you're picking up a pencil for the first time or revisiting a long-time practice, this session offers a welcoming space to sharpen your skills and enjoy the meditative rhythm of drawing from life.  What to Expect: 🎨 Choose Your Medium – Bring your own sketchbook and favorite tools—charcoal, pencil, ink, watercolor, or anything else you love to draw with. All levels and styles are welcome. ⏲️ Timed Poses – We’ll move through a series of short and long poses with a live model, helping you build confidence and fluidity in your mark-making. 🌟 Guided Support – Johanna will offer light instruction, tips, and feedback throughout the session to help you explore new techniques or deepen your personal approach. ☕  Coffee & Pupus – Enjoy freshly brewed coffee and light bites while you draw. BYOB. About the Artist: Johanna is a watercolor painter based in Hōnaunau, Hawai‘i. Her work is deeply influenced by the vibrant forests and ocean life of the islands, and her practice centers on expressing emotional depth through color, shape, and story. During the COVID lockdown, Johanna founded a figure drawing group that sparked a lasting love for the discipline and the creative community it nurtures. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity, your materials, and a willingness to see the human form with fresh eyes. Join us for an evening of artistic exploration and shared inspiration. $30/ person Next dates would be July 31 3pm - 6pm and August 28 3 pm - 6 pm

Sensory Skills Foundation – SCA Certificate Course This full-day introductory course is perfect for anyone looking to build a strong foundation in sensory analysis. Through hands-on tasting exercises and guided instruction, students will explore how we perceive aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel in coffee—and how to apply that knowledge in a cupping context. The course introduces the core principles of the Coffee Value Assessment System (CVAS), along with tools like the SCA Flavor Wheel, WCR Sensory Lexicon, and CQI’s updated Quality Evaluation forms. Whether you're a barista, roaster, green buyer, or aspiring Q Grader, this course will help you begin developing a sensory vocabulary and gain confidence in evaluating coffee quality with objectivity and clarity.

Sensory Sessions – Exploring the Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel: Off-Flavors & Quality Perception 📅 Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research  – Thursday, August 7 3pm –…

You're Invited: June Pau Hana Coffee Tasting Join us for our monthly Pau Hana Tasting on Friday, July 11th from 4:00–6:00pm at Pacific Coffee Research. Come unwind in our beautiful setting with a relaxing afternoon of coffee exploration. We'll guide you through a curated tasting of exceptional coffees from around the world, paired with a casual talk story session to dive deeper into each cup. ☕ July's Theme is Still Brewing—stay tuned for updates!  Space is limited, so we encourage you to register early to reserve your spot. As always, this is a free event, open to the public. No coffee experience needed.

Barista Skills & Espresso Techniques Workshop 📅 Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Saturday, August 9 9am – 12pm Elevate your barista game with this…

Introduction to Coffee Cupping & the SCA Legacy Form 📅 Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday August 15 9 am – 11 am In this…

Q Arabica Combo Course – Retake Exams 📅 Scheduled by Appointment | Monday & Tuesday August 19-20 | 🕘 Exam-Only Session This session is for candidates who previously completed the Q Arabica Combo Course and need to retake one or more exam modules to fulfill the certification requirements. Offered under the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) guidelines, the retake format allows participants to complete any remaining sensory, cupping, olfactory, triangulation, matching, roasted sample ID, or general knowledge tests they did not pass during their initial course. Retakes must be completed within 18 months of the original exam date and may be scheduled individually or in grouped sessions, depending on availability. 💡 Important Notes: Only available to candidates who have taken the full Q Arabica Combo Course Retake fees apply per exam module Please specify which exams you intend to retake by emailing us [email protected] All retake exams are administered by licensed Q Instructors in compliance with CQI protocols

Coffee Value Assessment for Cuppers – SCA Certificate Course This 2-day course is designed for experienced cuppers ready to evolve their sensory practice using the Specialty Coffee Association’s new Coffee Value Assessment (CVA) system. Participants will learn to apply a modern, structured approach to evaluating coffee that goes beyond traditional scoring, using tools like 15-point intensity scales, CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) descriptors, and hedonic scaling techniques to capture both objective sensory data and consumer preference insights. Through guided cuppings and calibration using official SCA references, students will gain hands-on experience with the CVA Descriptive and Affective Forms and learn to balance descriptive, affective, and extrinsic evaluation tools. This course is ideal for Q Graders, quality managers, and seasoned professionals who regularly use cupping protocols and are ready to integrate the CVA framework into their workflow. Upon successful completion, participants receive an SCA certificate of acknowledgement indicating formal CVA training.

Drawing Life: Live Figure Drawing 📅  Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Thursday, June 26 | 3 pm – 6 pm Step away from the espresso machine and into the studio for a special evening of creativity and connection. Drawing Life is a live figure drawing session co-hosted by local artist and educator Johanna Schumacher—a new kind of experience at Pacific Coffee Research that invites you to slow down, observe, and explore the human form through art. Whether you're picking up a pencil for the first time or revisiting a long-time practice, this session offers a welcoming space to sharpen your skills and enjoy the meditative rhythm of drawing from life.  What to Expect: 🎨 Choose Your Medium – Bring your own sketchbook and favorite tools—charcoal, pencil, ink, watercolor, or anything else you love to draw with. All levels and styles are welcome. ⏲️ Timed Poses – We’ll move through a series of short and long poses with a live model, helping you build confidence and fluidity in your mark-making. 🌟 Guided Support – Johanna will offer light instruction, tips, and feedback throughout the session to help you explore new techniques or deepen your personal approach. ☕  Coffee & Pupus – Enjoy freshly brewed coffee and light bites while you draw. BYOB. About the Artist: Johanna is a watercolor painter based in Hōnaunau, Hawai‘i. Her work is deeply influenced by the vibrant forests and ocean life of the islands, and her practice centers on expressing emotional depth through color, shape, and story. During the COVID lockdown, Johanna founded a figure drawing group that sparked a lasting love for the discipline and the creative community it nurtures. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity, your materials, and a willingness to see the human form with fresh eyes. Join us for an evening of artistic exploration and shared inspiration. $30/ person Next dates would be July 31 3pm - 6pm and August 28 3 pm - 6 pm

Sensory Skills Foundation – SCA Certificate Course 📅 Co-hosted by ASTs Brit Horn & Eric Musil – Saturday, Sept. 6 9 am - 5 pm | 🕘 Full-Day Course This introductory course is designed for anyone looking to develop a foundational understanding of sensory analysis in coffee. As part of the SCA Coffee Skills Program, Sensory Skills Foundation explores how we perceive flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel, and how to apply this knowledge in a coffee cupping context. Through interactive tasting exercises and guided instruction, students will learn to identify key sensory attributes and begin building a sensory vocabulary. This course also introduces the core principles of the Coffee Value Assessment System (CVAS)—the SCA's evolving framework for assessing coffee quality and value across the supply chain. With the new SCA–CQI partnership, this course now serves as a stepping stone toward the Q Arabica Grader Program, including an introduction to two key forms from CQI’s updated Quality Evaluation (QE) program. Whether you're a barista, roaster, green buyer, or aspiring Q Grader, this course offers practical tools and insight to help you navigate sensory evaluation with clarity and confidence. 🌟 What You’ll Learn: Discover Sensory Science – Learn the fundamentals of sensory evaluation through practical, interactive exercises that help you understand how we perceive taste and flavor. Coffee Cupping – Build a strong foundation in cupping protocols and sensory analysis, developing the skills and tools to assess coffee quality using professional terminology. Engage All Your Senses – Through interactive exercises, explore how gustation, olfaction, taction, and even auditory and visual cues influence sensory perception in coffee. You will get to use sensory tools including, SCA Flavor Wheel, WCR Sensory Lexicon and the Les Nez du Café Aroma kit. Evaluate Coffee with Confidence – Gain the tools to analyze coffee characteristics objectively and apply this knowledge in a professional setting. 💡 Topics Covered: Introduction to the Coffee Value Assessment System Principles of Sensory Science Physiology & Sensory Attributes Identifying Sensory Characteristics in Coffee SCA Coffee Cupping Protocol Practical Considerations for Sensory Professional Services 🍴 Additional Details: This full-day course runs from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Registration includes: SCA certificate cost, lunch, snacks, refreshments, and coffees. Final Exam: Upon course completion, students have 21 days to take the SCA Sensory Skills Foundation written exam online. Allergy Note: This course includes tasting exercises with various foods and liquids, including potential allergens (dairy, nuts, wheat, etc.). While we strive to accommodate dietary needs, we cannot guarantee 100% avoidance of allergens.