World Coffee Day | A revolution is getting stronger in India as premium coffees get massy

An artisanal coffee revolution based on an understanding of and appreciation for premium coffee has been brewing in India for almost two decades.

The result: today single-estate or blended fair trade coffee grown organically on plantations across India and ground-to-order is offered by a number of players - some of which, like Blue Tokai and Araku Coffee, have become well-known and command a premium over instant coffee.

“The trend of artisanal coffee is steadily changing, to adopt an organic approach. This pandemic has made new-age consumers even more conscious of what they consume,” says Grace Muivah, brand owner, Ngarum, a coffee brand from the Northeast.

Mithilesh Vazalwar, founder, Corridor Seven Coffee Roasters, in Nagpur, adds, “We do blind cupping/tasting and then decide the blend and not work it out on Excel sheets and decide on the costing/margins. Additionally, I am working on how a blend of different roast techniques and different heat sources for roasting affects the coffee.”

Brewing matters

Brewing is just as important as the processes that precede it. Stands to reason then that different types of brewing equipment - from gooseneck kettles for pour-overs to aeropress, French press and mocha pots - is often also sold by the same people who make artisanal coffee.

Understanding how the brewing equipment works, how the coffee is extracted in each method, what the water does (percolates, pours, steams or steeps) and how it should be used, the roast and grind of the bean, can reform your coffee-drinking experience.

Here's a quick look at some key brewing methods:

Syphon: It uses a process of heating and cooling water vapour from the lower carafe vessel to the upper infusion vessel, and the brewed coffee pours into the carafe vessel.

Pour Over: It makes a flavourful cup where you can control the water temperature, speed of water reaching the beans, brewing time and coffee quantity.

French Press: It gives a full-bodied coffee since no paper filter is used, and that allows the oil from the coffee bean to be infused in the brew.

Chemex: It works best with light to medium roast coffee and is a dripper and coffee pot in a glass container.

Inverted AeroPress brewing: It uses a paper filter to make a smooth filter decoction and as it prevents premature dripping you can control the brew time.

Cold brewing: A sweeter and smoother coffee, this is achieved by mixing ground coffee with cool water and steeping it in a refrigerator overnight.

Sanremo Café Racer espresso machine: A large machine for coffee aficionados, this is for espresso lovers and is an advanced machine.

Traditional coffee filter: A south Indian staple that has a perforated upper chamber where coffee powder is placed, a plunger is then placed over the coffee and hot water is poured and left to steep. The decoction percolates to the bottom chamber.

Top picks: Specialty coffees

Water chemistry, the properties of the coffee bean, the brewing method and equipment, terroir, altitude of cultivation and different ways of roasting coffee are all things that fourth wave coffee producers and consumers are thinking about.

Bengaluru-based Abhinav Mathur, CEO and managing director, Something’s Brewing, says, “Over the last decade, India has seen a rise in specialty-coffee practices. Coffee plantations are now adopting new-age processing methods which enhance the quality parameters of the green beans. Farmers are now working in collaboration with roasters to provide and enhance the coffee experience of the end consumers. The availability of global brands for various coffee equipment has made it easy for homebrewers to expand their horizons, to experiment in the coffee journey.”

Science has taken centre stage, taking the conversation towards the chemistry between water and bean, and ways to heighten the experience of drinking coffee and improve its health benefits. Coffee is so finely nuanced that this old Bourbon proverb could not be truer: “To an old man a cup of coffee is like the door post of an old house — it sustains and strengthens him”.

If you're new to specialty coffee, start by experimenting with these and then build based on what you like:

Monsoon Malabar: Monsoon winds give the coffee beans a mellow flavour and allow the bean to swell in size having absorbed the moisture.

Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold: Made using Arabica beans from Chikmagalur, Coorg, Biligirirangan Hills, Baba Budangiri and Shevaroys. The large beans have a bluish-green tinge, and are full of aroma and fine flavour. This is a premium variant.

Robusta Kaapi Royale: Made using Robusta Parchment AB from Chikmagalur, Coorg, Wayanad and Travancore, these grey- to blue-hued beans give a full body, soft, smooth, and mellow coffee.