Events

Barista Skills & Espresso Techniques Workshop Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday, Feb 6 - 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.

Plan it. Pour it. Profit. Setting up a Retail Coffee Program Hosted by AST Zoey Thorson at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday Feb 13 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm In a world with over 33,000 coffee shops, standing out is no small feat. This one-day course gives you the blueprint for building  and scaling a coffee business that’s as exceptional as your espresso. Learn the essentials, connect with other owners, and discover your next big move. In this one-day course, we will review and collaborate on the steps of creating and sustaining a wonderful specialty coffee retail experience.  

February Pau Hana: Love Triangles, a Triangulation Exercise Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday Feb 13, 4pm - 6pm Welcome back to our monthly Pau Hana Tasting! This February, we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a sensory challenge: a Love Triangle Triangulation.  Triangulation is a type of sensory test used in coffee evaluation. In each set, you'll taste three cups—two are the same, and one is different. Your challenge? Identify the odd one out! It’s a fun and engaging way to sharpen your palate and explore the nuances of Hawai‘i-grown coffees. This month, we'll be giving away special prizes in this friendly coffee matching competition! Treat yourself to an afternoon of delicious coffee, stunning views, and a unique tasting experience. Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance! This is a free event, open to the public, with no prior cupping/coffee experience necessary.

Sensory Skills Foundation – SCA Certificate Course Hosted by AST, Brit Horn– Monday, Feb 16 9 am - 4 pm  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. 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.

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 

Barista Skills & Espresso Techniques Workshop Hosted at Pacific Coffee Research – Friday, March 13 - 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.

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

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