The Royal Blog

Blending Water Some Important Math to Help You Mix Waters of Different TDS Tasting Room Director Sandra Elisa Loofbourow and I recently ran into a difficult problem to solve at the Crown, and wanted to share some of the work it took to figure out how to mix two different waters to achieve a desired […]

Well, who’d have thought that just over a month after wondering publicly whether the novel coronavirus would put an end to public cuppings, nearly the entire world would be thrust into an unprecedented lockdown. Here in the Bay Area, we’ve been sheltering in place since Tuesday March 17, and it brings me only the smallest […]

Extolling the Virtues of Dark Roasts By Nate Lumpkin with illustrations by Elise Becker, Crown Baristas Man, I really love dark roast coffee. I love walking into a place and asking for a “coffee” and getting a cup that burns the heck out of my mouth and tastes like tar smoke. I love diner coffee, […]

Editor’s Note: This article first ran on March 9, 2020, in Daily Coffee News. It is reprinted here with permission. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been capturing headlines worldwide, the Specialty Coffee Association last week announced a series of new hygiene practices to be implemented at upcoming coffee trade shows in Portland (Oregon), Melbourne, […]

Our industry is multidisciplinary and international; it’s important to maintain clear means of communication as well as mutual understanding of quality standards. Here follows a translation of our article “Cupping Basics – How to Set up & Execute A Great Tasting Experience” into Spanish in hopes that our Spanish-speaking colleagues can enjoy this article and […]

Culture, Conflict, and Coffee: Tastings from Uncommon Origins Paired with History You Haven’t Heard (at Blue Bottle in Culver City, Los Angeles) – FREE Register & Learn More Here! Saturday, August 18th, 2:00pm – 4:30pm We’d like to explore a little about why the roasted seed of a fruit, cultivated in diverse conditions, holds such […]

How to Set Up and Run a Coffee Cupping: A Step-by-Step Guide Cupping is the coffee industry’s more-or-less standardized practice for sensory evaluation. Using aromas and flavors it is possible to determine the quality potential of a given coffee, the success of a roast, and/or the presence of sensory defects. Cupping is an integral component […]

We’re adding a number of new classes to the calendar in March and April for 2018 before we head off to Expo in Seattle. Fact & Folklore: Coffee’s Culture & Cultivation – a Interactive Lecture & Tasting at Pulley Collective – NEW! Tuesday, April 10 @ Pulley Collective in Oakland – $20 An interactive lecture […]

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared in Daily Coffee News on December 20, 2017. Spuds, yams, tubers – baked, boiled, fried, mashed… There’s almost no limit to the versatility of the root vegetable we often associate with Idaho or Ireland. It might surprise you to know that there are more than 1,000 varieties […]