Coffee & Convos Presents #unfilteredSD

Admin
Jun 10, 2017
3 min read

The blessings of Instagram led me to my Sunday afternoon at the Brick in San Diego. I began following @Coffee&Convos on Instagram, because I felt they matched my own goals in producing A Cup a Day. #unfilteredSD was a collaboration between Coffee & Convos and the BRICK. Together, they brought the local SD coffee scene out of their little shops to share an afternoon of coffee, artists, and music. Local roasters and cafes offered treats and the opportunity for the coffee obsessed, such as myself, to pry brewing and roasting knowledge from the lips of coffee professors.

This free event, according to the hosts, was meant to "get to know the wonderful people in the coffee community who gather regularly around this most ubiquitous bean." The bean was the focus of the day.

What I was most impressed with was the variety of drink options outside the realm of traditional brewed coffee present at the event. Global Coffee presented attendees with Cascara, an immersion of coffee cherry skins in filtered water, that produces a sweet and bitter caffeinated juice. Another brewer provided a carbonated and herb infused version that reminded me of Kevita's vinegar drinks.

Modern Times Brewery and Roasters brought a coconut and cacao infused cold brew with a natural sweetness that is equal to a coffee desert, but free of added sugar.

Global Coffee Trading had their Cascara for sale, but unfortunately Modern Times did not have their latest coconut cacao cold brew ready for purchase. (My father was hoping to make a coffee infused vegan ice cream). I was more than happy to take home their single-origin Ethiopian Sidamo cold brew, which I discovered is available at Whole Foods Market.

Their Ethiopian Sidamo is true to their description; sweet apricot notes mix with a surprising floral lightness that comes out as smooth as ice water. Modern Times wins my prize for best bottled (or canned) cold brew to date.

I also took home some adorable coffee pins featuring phrases that sum up my life (depresso without espresso, coffee makes me happy, etc.) from a local artist. One of my biggest surprises as an ex-USD student was to learn that there is a vegan chocolate shop located down the street in Old Town San Diego. Nibbles, San Diego's local vegan chocolate shop was sampling their chocolate from Brazil, Peru, Madagascar, and more. Their chocolate is made from two simple ingredients cacao and cane sugar, which allows each cacao to show the profile of its region of origin. Nibbles was selling individual bars and my biggest weakness, chocolate covered espresso beans. I had to take some home! (Yet to be tasted...)

The greatest gift of the event was the conversation. James Coffee Co featured in my coffee of the month post from May brought their famous Honduras coffee to show off. The owner of the established coffee house was humble enough to share his success story and some tips about roasting with a young entrepreneur and coffee connoisseur such as myself. I will respect the owners secrets, but I will tempt you with hints about his early days of roasting, which involved a popcorn maker.

Beyond the goods for sale, Coffee & Convos provided free mini donuts, canvas tote bags, and shirts that were printed on-site. Overall, it was a informative day of coffee and conversation. I left San Diego with goodies and a decent coffee buzz that kept me going all night long.

Thank you Coffee & Convos for the wonderful Sunday afternoon.