European centre of coffee brewing
For two days Kolobrzeg became the European centre of coffee brewing owing to the fact that a major coffeevent - the Festival of Coffee - was organised by Coffeedesk in partnership with Specialty Coffee Association Poland.
The Festival offered many attractions with the main one being the Polish Championship of Brewers Cup 2017. The competition consisted of two parts. The first task was to brew coffee in an alternative way and from coffee grains that competitors received twenty four hours prior to the tournament. For this task the contenders used Chemexes, Drips, Aeropresses, French Presses to name just a few. Then it was down to judges who were to assess the taste of the beverage without prior knowledge as to which contestant prepared the brew in front of them. The second part of the contest was a free-for-all, no holds barred task to prepare the absolutely best cuppa joe for jury. The baristas had the sheer freedom in choosing the species of coffee, the brewing method and way of serving. It was a task that they had been training months beforehand and one that is especially challenging as the proper process of coffee brewing is a lengthy and sophisticated one. And it was during the Championship when the contestants had the opportunity to present their utmost masterpieces. The caffeine fuelled mad dash for the title of the Brewers Cup Champion was taking place at the indoor stage of the Regionalne Centrum Kultury but you could watch it - while of course grasping a steaming cup yourself - outside, as the whole event was relayed onto big LCD screen set outdoors.
During the event we had a unique opportunity to taste many types of coffee from different parts of the world prepared in various ways by the best coffee roasting plants in Poland. The festival was a great place to meet some of the best polish baristas who were more than happy to unveil (some, not ALL)secrets of brewing a good coffee. The scent of coffee lingering about the venue was trully overpowering/hypnotic.
From the very morning (and don't you just adore a coffee in the morning, right?) of Saturday and Sunday we collectively enjoyed and worshipped our newfound passion for coffee. In the afternoons there were workshops and lectures with brewing masters. There were very interesting topics ranging from coffee basics such as coffee and beverages in restaurants, coffee and alcohol, the world of coffee cocktails, coffee photography, accessories for brewing coffee, all the way to step-by-step guides on how to create and maintain a successful coffee shop.
Alongside the Coffee Festival there was another side event taking place called the Breakfast Picnic where local food manufacturers displayed their various products. It was a nice break away from the main event and an opportunity to chat, socialise and taste great food.
Music always accompanies festivals. This one couldn't be different. On Saturday night Ten Typ Mes gave a fantastic gig. The Polish rapper is famous for his carefree style of mixing different blends of music namely rap, g-funk and punk rock in order to create something utterly unforgettable by even the most demanding music aficionados. Ten Typ Mes is an author and performancer trully a one of a kind showman. This time he was promoting his new album 'Ała'.
Nowadays with everyone rushing to and fro we often drink coffee simply to raise our blood presure to get a sufficient kick and work our way through yet another day. We just pour water into the cup with instant coffee or buy a plastic cup filled in a chain coffee shop. We forget about the culture of brewing and drinking coffee. The Festival did let us rekindle the joy of those rare moments of relax - when you sit comfortably, at first simply enjoying the smell and the warmth of the cup in your hand then finally that unforgettable, impeccable and yet simple moment of tasting smooth black gold with every sip.
Klara S