What is third wave coffee? First, a history lesson.

The first wave was back in the 1960s as coffee consumption began to grow around the world. Virtually every household in America had some form of instant coffee, as it was accessible to most people.

The second wave came when companies like Starbucks, Dunkin, and Tim Horton’s began growing as coffee retailers. Places like these began selling drinks that masked the flavor of the coffee itself, yet people would form lines down the street just to taste it. By this point, coffee had become a luxury.

This brings us to the third wave — the small, local coffee shop. Not just an instant pot of coffee, the places have introduced new and unique brewing methods to extract the flavors of fresh coffee without the added cream, sugar, or syrups.

Unless you drink your coffee black, you might not have put much thought into the subtle flavors that each cup has. So what is so special about this artisan coffee?

Have you ever heard someone talk about tasting the “notes” in a good cup of coffee? What does that mean?

According to the website of Counter Culture Coffee out of Durham, North Carolina,

“…coffee can have many different inherent flavors based on where or when it’s grown, how it’s processed, how it’s roasted, the kind of variety, and even how it’s brewed. So when you’re tasting notes of ‘strawberry’ in a coffee, we’re tasting either the same, or very similar, compounds that are in actual strawberries.”

Pretty cool, right? Depending on what country the coffee was grown in, the climate and the soil in that area can affect the taste of the coffee.

Third wave coffee has created great relationships between coffee farmers and coffee shops around the world. Coffee is now being grown, washed, roasted, and prepared in more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways. Coffee farmers have found ways to give back to the land that has given to us so that it can be fertile ground to grow for many years to come.

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Jacob H.