Coffee Cupping Sessions

Our recent run of coffee cupping sessions has come to an end. Thanks to everyone who participated in the sessions, we hope you enjoyed them as much as we did. These have marked the beginning of an ongoing coffee education program to help give those who are interested access to information about our coffees and where they come from, and information about specialty coffee in general.

If you missed out on a session this time or would like another opportunity to participate, the good news is we'll run some more sessions later this year. Sign up below to be notified by email when the next run of sessions is announced.

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New Feature Coffee

Today we will be introducing a new feature coffee from 'La Esperanza', a farm near Trujillo in Colombia. Perhaps the most notable thing about this coffee is the fact that it has been harvested from trees of the Geisha varietal.

The Geisha varietal of coffee tree originated in Ethiopia but was made famous in Panama at 'Hacienda La Esmeralda', in the mid 2000s when individual lots started auctioning for record prices due to the high quality of the harvest. Geisha is one of the few varietals that is generally considered to have unique flavour characteristics which are attributable to the varietal itself. Since the success of Geisha in Panama, many farmers across Central and South America have begun experimenting with the varietal on their farms. Owners of 'La Esperanza', brothers Rigoberto and Luis Eduardo Herrera decided to trial Geisha on their Colombian farm after it's success at another farm belonging to them in Panama (which happens to border the 'Hacienda La Esmeralda' farm). Having just spent some time serving the Esmeralda Geisha from Panama in various forms at our stores, it will be interesting to see the results of how this varietal performs in a different origin.

'Introduction to Cupping' Sessions

Cupping is a process used by growers, buyers and roasters to sample and grade coffees. Small samples of different coffees are roasted and brewed to very specific and controlled specifications and then tasted side by side for comparison and evaluation. Cupping is a great way to look at the different and complex flavours that coffee can exhibit, and learn more about the differences between coffees from different regions in the world.

We are offering the opportunity to participate in a cupping session where we will offer an introduction to the cupping process as well as an opportunity to cup a variety of coffees for yourself. These sessions take place every Friday at 12.30pm.

The events are free of charge, though each session will be limited to 6 places. Send an email with your name to info@meccacq.com to secure your spot. If you have any queries call us on 9252 7668, If you would like to be kept up to date on other events please register your interest here.

New Mecca Store, Harris St. Ultimo

Some of you may be aware of the new store at 646 Harris Street, in Ultimo, Sydney.

The store opened for trading in late January and so far has been a hit.  The space offers a little more of a 'coffee lab' experience, with two clovers in operation plus a range of other brew methods in operation.  Public cuppings will be held frequently so enquire with the staff there if you wish to participate.  Of particular note is the lunch menu, which is more exhaustive than the other Mecca stores and I can tell you from personal experience is well worth the visit.  I recommend the Wagyu Beef salad.  Yum!

Below are some photos of the new store taken by Mayu from Organic Photogaphy, Sydney.

Mecca Coffee Co. Harris St, Sydney

Check out Mayu's other work at http://www.organicphotography.com.au.

Australian Cup Tasting Championships

Congratulations to Mecca's own, Sam Sgambellone on his 3rd placing in the Australian Cup Tasting Championship over the weekend.

After taking out the NSW Championship earlier in the month Sam was up against the other state winners for the right to represent the country at the World Championship's in the Netherlands later this year.

The competition sees competitors faced with eight sets of coffees with each set consisting of two identical coffees and one that is different, the Competitors must choose the odd one out.

The title was taken out by Luca Costanza from Melbourne and we wish him all the best.

For more information on the World Cup Tasting Championship click here.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts....

We have just taken delivery of some Hario products just in time for Christmas...we are stocking Syphons, Hand Mills, V-60 pour overs any of which would make a great gift for a coffee lover.

We also have the Aeropress Coffee Makers as well as our range of coffee beans to add to your Christmas stockings.

Call us on 9252 7668 to confirm availability or just pop on down.

Closing Dates for Christmas/New Years 2010.

Mecca Espresso Circular Quay will be closed over the holiday period:

From 12:00pm on Friday 24th December 2010
Until 7:30am on Monday 10th January 2011

We wish everyone a restful and safe Christmas and New Year, and thank you for your support over 2010. We look forward to sharing with you many great brews in 2011.