Events

Inside the Machine: A Café Owner’s Guide to Espresso Equipment with special guest, Josh Littlefield! Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Thursday February 26 - 4-6 pm This two-hour, hands-on workshop is designed specifically for espresso machine owners and operators who want to better understand how their espresso machines function. Through guided exploration and practical demonstrations, participants will open up a commercial espresso machine, identify key components, and gain foundational knowledge of how these systems work to brew espresso. If you own or operate an espresso machine, or you are thinking about getting one - this is for you! No technical background required! Your espresso machine tour guide will be Josh Littlefield, a seasoned coffee equipment technician with over a decade of experience wrenching on machines of all kinds! Josh has worked for La Marzocco, Mazzer grinders, and is currently managing Technico, a coffee equipment sales and tech group based in Nashville.

Green Coffee Foundation – Certificate Course, SCA Coffee Skills Program (in-person learning) Hosted by AST, Brit Horn at Pacific Coffee Research on Saturday, February 28 9 am - 5pm Unlock the journey of coffee from seed to shipment in the Green Coffee Foundation course, a foundational class designed for anyone curious about what happens before coffee reaches the roaster. This course dives into the origin, cultivation, processing, and grading of green coffee, giving learners a well-rounded understanding of the critical first stage in the coffee value chain. This course covers the CVA System Physical form use.

Brewing Foundation - SCA Certificate Course (in-person learning) Hosted at PCR by AST, Zoey Thorson– Friday, March 6 9 am - 4 pm 

Brewing Intermediate - SCA Certificate Course (in-person learning) Hosted by AST, Zoey Thorson– Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8 9 am - 4 pm 

March Pau Hana: Theme TBD Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday March 13, 4pm - 6pm

Barista Skills & Espresso Techniques Workshop Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Saturday, March 14 - 9 am - 12 pm Elevate your barista game with this hands-on, three-hour workshop designed for coffee enthusiasts and aspiring professionals alike! We’ve taken core elements from our Comprehensive Barista Training, typically reserved for our wholesale partners—and made them accessible to anyone eager to master espresso and milk-based drinks.

Introduction to Coffee Cupping Workshop Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday March 20 9 am - 11 am In this hands-on workshop, you’ll dive into the world of professional coffee tasting, learning that evaluating coffee is about more than just labeling it "good" or "bad". We’ll focus on how to use the Specialty Coffee Association's (SCA) Cupping Form from 2004—a globally recognized standard for objectively evaluating coffee quality—and practice it in real time while cupping a range of coffees. This 3-hour class is designed for anyone wanting to refine their tasting skills and better understand how professionals evaluate coffee. You'll not only explore the SCA’s formal cupping procedure, but also gain an understanding of the sensory elements involved in tasting. From aroma to aftertaste, we'll guide you through each step of the process. The SCA Cupping Form, developed in 1984, was the first 100-point system for grading coffee quality and has since become the go-to tool for cupping worldwide. While the form has evolved over the years, it remains the benchmark for describing and communicating coffee flavor profiles. 🌟 What You’ll Learn: Learn the detailed cupping protocol used by Q Graders. Introduction of the Heritage SCA Cupping Form to evaluate multiple coffees. Discuss your sensory experiences, learning how to articulate what you taste and smell. Receive your own SCA Cupping Form and Coffee Flavor Wheel to use during the workshop. No experience necessary! This class is designed to help you hone your palate, get comfortable with tasting coffee more deliberately, and understand the language used to describe coffee flavors. By the end, you'll be equipped to replicate this cupping process at home or in your business, and be more confident in evaluating coffee quality intentionally.

About the Course  📅 Hosted by AST & CQI Instructor Zoey Thorson & Brit Horn | Wednesday- Monday April 1-6 9 am – 5 pm…

March Pau Hana: World of Coffee Coffees Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday April 17, 4pm - 6pm

Roastery Foundation – SCA Certificate Course Hosted by AST Eric Musil – Sunday, April 19 9 am – 5 pm | Full-Day Course

Roasting Intermediate – SCA Certificate Course Hosted by AST Eric Musil – Monday & Tuesday, April 20-21 9 am – 5 pm | 2-Day Course

Barista Skills Professional – Certificate Course, SCA Coffee Skills Program (in-person learning) Hosted by AST, Zoey Thorson at Pacific Coffee Research on Friday - Sunday, Jan 9 - 11 9 am – 4pm