Intro to Coffee 101 - Redondo Beach 11/20

This class is an invitation to slow down, ask questions, and understand what truly shapes the great cup you enjoy every morning. This is a clear and approachable starting point course, designed for anyone who loves coffee and wants to understand it with more depth, whether out of curiosity, personal ritual, or the first steps toward opening a café of your own. You’ll leave with a grounded understanding of how coffee is grown, processed, roasted, and brewed enough to taste with intention, recognize quality, and appreciate the craft that turns a seed into a balanced, thoughtful cup. No prior knowledge needed. Just curiosity. Subscribing Gives you great benefits A brief journey through the origins of coffee how a small fruit from the forests of Ethiopia became one of the most beloved daily rituals around the world. Not all coffee is the same. We explore the anatomy of the bean, and the key differences between the varieties that shape the flavor, character, and quality of the cup. A closer look at what separates everyday coffee from the highest-quality coffees in the world, and why traceability, farming, and craft matter. Before coffee is roasted, it goes through careful processing that shapes the final flavor. We introduce the essential methods that influence sweetness, clarity, and body. We finish with a guided tasting experience, learning how professionals evaluate coffee through aroma, texture, and flavor. This class is designed for curious coffee drinkers who want to begin understanding what makes a great cup. No prior knowledge is required only curiosity and a willingness to look a little deeper into how coffee moves from seed to cup. It’s a starting point for people discovering the world of specialty coffee and wanting to understand it from the ground up. How coffee is grown, processed, roasted, and ultimately experienced in the cup. Also for those considering opening a café or coffee business, it offers a clear basic introduction to the foundations of the craft and the industry behind it. It also works beautifully as a gift: A thoughtful experience for a friend, partner, or anyone who enjoys coffee and would appreciate spending a morning learning something new. From the very beginning of The Boy & The Bear – Coffee Roastery, our mission has been to uphold a commitment to genuine and transparent coffee processes. We take pride in meticulously overseeing the journey from coffee crop to your cup to ensure we serve nothing short of the best. Our dedication extends beyond coffee; it's about sharing our rich Colombian culture with our community At The Boy & The Bear, it's not just about the specialty Colombian coffees. It's an immersive experience that encapsulates Colombian culture, its vibrant people, spirited music, and everything that embodies the positivity and liveliness of our country. As our founder, Andres Piñeros, beautifully puts it: "The Boy & The Bear – Coffee Roastery is a magical surrealism of the Colombian coffee experience and the culture that surrounds it." We invite you to savor this enchanting journey with us. We don’t offer pre-ground espresso because every machine is different. It is never a "one size- fits all". For the best results, we recommend grinding fresh to match your setup. At the Boy and the Bear, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the industry and having a deeper understanding of coffee extraction. Utilizing physics and data collected by ourselves and our colleagues, we have come to the conclusion that the ideal ratio for filter is 1 gram for every 17 grams (or milliliters) of water. Our ideal beverage yield is: 10oz or 295 grams, to achieve this, we use 20 grams of coffee and 340 grams of water. Since our coffees are a lighter development, we recommend using water in the 201° - 203°F. And remember, the better your water = the better the coffee. For any further help or questions, email us or visit one of our cafes and ask one of our knowledgeable staff. Happy sipping! While espresso can be a more involved extraction, a good starting point for all of our coffees is: 1:2; 1 gram of coffee for every 2 grams (or milliliters) of water. In the cafes, we currently use 16 grams of coffee for 34 milliliters of extracted coffee at around 30 - 32 seconds in time with ideal water quality. Since our coffees are a slightly lighter development than most, we recommend using water around 201 - 202°F. To trouble shoot your espresso extraction, grind your coffee finer if the espresso is sour or coarser if it is bitter to taste. To increase sweetness, increase your yield. To increase body, reduce the yield. For any further help or questions, email us or visit one of our cafes and ask one of our knowledgeable staff. Happy sipping! When coffee is fresh out of the roasting process, the CO2 retention is at the highest point it could possibly be at. Within the first 4 - 7 days, coffee releases 90% CO2 and 10% nitrogen from the roasting process, making 7 - 14 days off roast the peak