New school coffee roasters have made headlines in recent months — Stumptown and Intelligentsia were recently snatched up by Peet’s Coffee and new independent micro-roasters are opening up in cities big and small — but what does "Third Wave coffee" actually mean? A new generation of roasters and cafes are focusing as much on the buying and drinking experience of coffee as on the brew itself, putting a new premium on aesthetics while touting higher quality and better preparations. But the road to pour-over brews and fancy espresso bars is changing course, with consolidation shaking up Third Wave's more grassroots approach. Here's the history of the first and second coffee waves — they brought the world Folgers and Starbucks, respectively — and a look into the future of coffee culture in America.
Filed under:
What Is Third Wave Coffee and How Did We Get Here?
From Folger’s to Stumptown, and Peet’s plan for the future
