It's been a highly caffeinated weekend over at the 2019 New York Coffee Festival. Coffee lovers, industry folks, and a curious public stepped into the halls of the Metropolitan Pavilion for 3 days of brew bars, demonstrations, and much more.
It's not a stretch to say that guests were treated to free-flowing coffee from some really great roasters and cafes. With so much going on, here's a quick recap of what went down at NYCF.
- The Brew Bar
Beyond the copious amounts of coffee being handed out by practically every booth, the festival showcased its Brew Bar right next to the Roast Masters stage. Cafes and Roasters got to chat and highlight the coffees they served to lines of excited coffee drinkers. Beyond just getting the cups of coffee to get you buzzed, the fun was in listening to the different brewers explain their shop’s methodologies in brewing a great cup of coffee.
- Latte Art Live
What's a coffee festival without some good old-fashioned Latte Art? Latte Art Live brought talented baristas to the stage to showcase their pouring skills, and even getting the audiences to either vote on art or learn how to do it for themselves.
- Roast Masters
The 2nd ever Roast Masters competition was held over the weekend, with the roasters being able to choose to participate in either the Espresso and/or Single Origin categories. The roasters were challenged to present their coffees done as espressos or as pour overs, as well as explain the backstory of their roasting styles. In the end, multi-awarded Elixr Coffee Roasters from Philadelphia took home the win in both categories.
- The Lab
There continues to be new learnings in the space of coffee, whether it be at the farm level, to data analytics to maximize café operations. The Lab provided the space for different industry professionals to share their knowledge through different talks, covering a broad range of topics from barista training and development, better café efficiency, and various panels on the specialty coffee industry.
Would we swing by for another go-around of the New York Coffee Festival? With all the great coffee, events, and happenings in the greatest city in the world, who can say no to that?
Words by Ryan Uy (@thenameisrye)