Reflections on the early days of SCAA and its Golden Cup Brewing Standards and Labs
By Michael R. Pelchar
It used to be that we could count on the big guys to do a poor job when it came to coffee. Now, the reality is they’re doing okay. A by-product of our success as an industry is that poor coffee rose to okay and okay became good. Now, good has to get better and better needs to be the best.
As an industry, we’re advancing and need innovation, and the good news is that many of the fundamentals are already in place. It’s important not to lose sight of what got us here in the first place, and the Golden Cup Award is one of those programs.
Based on the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) brewing standards and implemented through certified brew technicians, the Golden Cup Award recognizes excellence in brewing. It’s achieved through proper equipment maintenance, strict adherence to protocols and consistent brewing performance. The net result is a cup that hits a defined target of taste, a window shown to be preferred by coffee drinkers. And even though customers will taste the difference, there’s nothing like an award to tell them you’re doing it right. To read the rest of this article, subscribe to The Chronicle or become a member today! If you’re already a Chronicle subscriber or member, please login.
