You may have seen this beautiful purple magazine on the shelves over the last two weeks already, she's difficult to miss!
We are so thrilled to share the wonderful Issue 42. We wanted to wait until the #12daysofcoffeechristmas Madness was over to tell you all about the Summer 2023 Edition.
Thank you to Lauren Taylor and Warren de Villiers who art directed our beautiful cover and to the continued support of our Advertising Partners who keep this piece of coffee culture alive and kicking!
I’ve been talking to a lot of people as 2022 comes to a close. It’s hard out there. People are feeling the pinch of prices and the hangover of a pandemic, emotionally and physically. It may appear outwardly that things should be back to business as usual, but it all feels a great deal different than ‘usual’. I think that’s ok. It’s ok to be overwhelmed, even angry. It’s also important to have hope. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway. We need to be kind to each other, even though it feels like we’ve got nothing left in the tank.
Not all of us will be able to take a break to reset, but at the very least, we can do something different, keep it interesting. Learn a new way to brew or enjoy coffee. Tip your local barista a little bit extra. Buy the coffee your local roaster tells you tastes like papaya. And then also, follow their instructions on how to make it taste like papaya.
This cover is bright and juicy and makes me want to go brew an iced pour over immediately, drink it in the sunshine, some dappled shade twinkling in a gentle breeze. I hope it does the same for you. Go make that coffee!
Roast: The Sky is the LimitBuilding a world class roastery from the ground up is no easy endeavour, but the Bluebird Coffee Roastery team led by Dario Scilipoti is making it look easy. We investigate as their new double volume roastery gets ready to open.
Brew: The Fairest of them All
When it comes to manual brew methods, the most elegant of all is the seemingly humble pour over. But when you look closer you can see that these simple devices have a lot of important details, no two are designed alike. They do have one thing in common though, they all look beautiful. Discover our favourites and test some new recipes!
Origin: Under a canopy of green
The lush environment of the Panama mountains is home to some of the world’s finest coffee, grown and curated by the team from Ninety Plus. We had the opportunity to speak with Joseph Brodsky, founder and visionary behind the brand.
Human Interest: Getting your Hands Dirty
Nora Smahelova is a creative who found herself in coffee and has spent many years exploring all the various parts of the industry. Her career has spanned almost every inch of the coffee world from Champion Barista to coffee shop owner to green bean trader, to finding a place at Accademia del Caffe Espresso in Tuscany, Italy where she is able to combine her love of coffee and her creative side, through hand made ceramics.
Health Series: Cure vs Curse - Is coffee good for you?
And how much is too much? And what impact does it have on our bodies? We asked two qualified doctors, Dr Zameer Brey and Dr Neshaad Schrueder to get to grips with these age old question. They took it exactly how they take there coffee: seriously, very seriously.
Back to Basics: Getting in tune with Coffee Tasting
Tips to improve and enjoy your journey through flavour, as your own peril! Imile de Villiers, a long time trainer of baristas in the art of coffee, helps us keep the music of coffee alive, with a tongue in cheek reminder not to get so caught up in high end coffee, that you miss the essence of coffee itself.
Gift Guide 2023: Get lost in a secret garden of Coffee Delights
Fashion forecaster Lauren Taylor brings our favourite products this year to life in a celebration of flora.
Culture: All the Way
With 20 bags of Bean There coffee and a trusty Stanley plunger to brew it, an intrepid team of South Africans set out to be the first to summit perilous K2. John Black tells us the firsthand tale of the first two SA climbers to make it all the way.
