Third-wave coffee

'''Third-wave coffee''' is a term primarily in the United States coffee industry emphasizing higher quality, single-origin farms and light roast to bring out distinctive flavors.<ref name="LAWeekly_2008-12-03" /> Though the term was coined in 1999,<ref name="latimes-2019-10-04">{{Cite web |date=2019-10-04 |title=Trish Rothgeb coined 'third wave' — and is now looking toward coffee's future |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-10-04/third-wave-coffee-trish-rothgeb |access-date=2021-04-29 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129182526/https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2019-10-04/third-wave-coffee-trish-rothgeb |archive-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> the approach originated in the 1970s, with roasters such as the Coffee Connection.<ref>John J. Thompson, ''Jesus, Bread, and Chocolate: Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass-Market World'', 2015, {{isbn|0310339405}}, chapter "Beyond Fair Trade": "George [Howell]'s influence can be found in all aspects of the Third Wave Coffee renaissance"</ref><ref>Janelle Nanos, "George Howell Coffee: Back to the Grind", ''Boston Magazine'', [https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/11/27/george-howell-coffee-connection-starbucks/4/ November 27, 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101155652/https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/11/27/george-howell-coffee-connection-starbucks/4/ |date=January 1, 2022 }}: "the 'third wave,' who fetishize coffee the way oenophiles do a grand cru—and whom Howell himself is largely responsible for inspiring"</ref>

==History== The term "third-wave coffee" is generally attributed to the coffee professional Trish Rothgeb, who used the term in a 2003 article,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://roastersguild.org/052003_norway.shtml |title=Norway and Coffee |author=Trish R Skeie (Rothgeb)|date=Spring 2003 |work=The Flamekeeper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031011091223/http://roastersguild.org/052003_norway.shtml |archive-date=October 11, 2003}}</ref> alluding to the three waves of feminism.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tampertantrum.com/the-waves-of-feminism-coffee/ |title=The Waves of Feminism & Coffee – Tamper Tantrum |language=en-US |access-date=October 18, 2019 |archive-date=October 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018003302/http://www.tampertantrum.com/the-waves-of-feminism-coffee/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the specialty coffee broker and author, Timothy J. Castle, had already used the term in an article titled "Coffee's Third Wave" that he wrote for the December 1999 / January 2000 issue of the magazine ''Tea & Coffee Asia''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Castle |first=Timothy |url=http://coffeetalk.com/ctmagazine/01-2016/21518/ |title=The Future of Specialty Coffee and the Next Wave |magazine=CoffeeTalk |date=January 23, 2016 |access-date=July 30, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730110252/http://coffeetalk.com/ctmagazine/01-2016/21518/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first mention in the mainstream media was in 2005 in a National Public Radio piece about barista competitions.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4530264 |title=Coffee Barista Preps for National Competition |author=Stuart Cohen |date=March 10, 2005 |work=NPR |access-date=April 2, 2018 |archive-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034458/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4530264 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the first wave of coffee, coffee consumers generally did not differentiate by origin or beverage type. Instant coffee, grocery store canned coffee, and diner coffee were all hallmarks of first wave coffee. First wave coffee focuses on low price and consistent taste.

The second wave of coffee began with purveyors like Peet's Coffee & Tea of Berkeley, California, which in the late 1960s began sourcing from artisanal producers, and roasting and blending with a focus on highlighting not only countries of origin, but also their signature dark roast profile. Peet's Coffee inspired the founders of Starbucks of Seattle, Washington. The second wave of coffee introduced the concept of different origin countries to coffee consumption, beyond a generic cup of coffee. Fueled in large part by market competition between Colombian coffee producers and coffee producers from Brazil through the 1960s, coffee roasters highlighted flavor characteristics that varied depending on what countries coffees came from. While certain origin countries grew to be prized among coffee enthusiasts and professionals, the world's production of high-altitude grown arabica coffee, grown in countries within the tropical zone, became sought after as each country had particular flavor profiles that were considered interesting and desirable. In addition to country of origin, the second wave of coffee introduced coffee-based beverages to the wider coffee-consuming world, particularly those traditional to Italy made with espresso.{{fact|date=June 2020}}

The first and second waves of coffee were characterized by at-home consumption. The first wave was pre-ground, vacuum-packed, mass-market cans from brands like Folgers and Maxwell House. The second wave offered consumers a fresh-roasted and bagged coffee purchased at a coffee shop like Starbucks or Peet's.

Third-wave coffee is associated with the concept of specialty coffee, referring either to specialty grades of green (raw and unroasted) coffee beans (distinct from commercial grade coffee), or specialty coffee beverages of high quality and craft.<ref>[https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2017/04/third-wave-coffee-different-specialty// What is Third Wave Coffee?], 2019 {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216162651/https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2017/04/third-wave-coffee-different-specialty/ |date=2019-12-16 }} Perfect Daily Grind</ref>

===United Kingdom=== In the late twentieth century, instant coffee dominated the UK market.<ref name="Buranyi" /> Inspired by the example of Starbucks, the Seattle Coffee Company opened in London in 1995, opening over 50 stores before being taken over by Starbucks in 1998.<ref name="Eldridge" /> Flat White, an early third-wave café, opened in 2005<ref name="Buranyi">{{Cite news |last=Buranyi |first=Stephen |date=20 June 2020 |title=How London became a city of flat-white drinkers |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/aff67921-6ddb-4cfa-8eac-88be4f7b0539 |access-date=14 December 2021 |archive-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214234224/https://www.ft.com/content/aff67921-6ddb-4cfa-8eac-88be4f7b0539 |url-status=live }}</ref> and James Hoffmann's third-wave roastery Square Mile opened in 2008.<ref name="Eldridge">{{Cite magazine |last=Eldridge |first=Cory |date=6 April 2015 |title=London: The Once and Future Coffee Capital |url=https://www.freshcup.com/the-once-and-future-coffee-capital/ |magazine=Fresh Cup Magazine |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=9 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209133119/https://www.freshcup.com/the-once-and-future-coffee-capital/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 2007 to 2009, the World Barista Championship was won by Londoners, starting with Hoffmann, and the 2010 edition of the competition was hosted in London. Hoffmann has since come to be regarded as a pioneer in the third-wave coffee movement in the UK, with ''The Globe and Mail'' describing him as "the godfather of London's coffee revolution".<ref name="TGaM2015">{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Robert |title=Getting a taste of London's buzzing coffee culture |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/getting-a-taste-of-londons-buzzing-coffee-culture/article26519112/ |access-date=29 August 2022 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=24 September 2015 |language=en-CA |archive-date=29 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829144201/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/getting-a-taste-of-londons-buzzing-coffee-culture/article26519112/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CoffeeForDummies">{{cite book |last1=Cohen |first1=Major |title=Coffee for Dummies |date=2021 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated |location=Newark |isbn=9781119679042 }}</ref><ref name="Grammatical">{{Cite web |last=Mridul |first=Anay |date=2019-07-18 |title=Profile: James Hoffmann on his career, talking chains, coffee preferences and Brexit |url=https://thegrammaticalnerd.wordpress.com/2019/07/18/profile-james-hoffmann/ |access-date=2020-09-02 |website=The Grammatical Nerd |language=en |archive-date=2021-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326134309/https://thegrammaticalnerd.wordpress.com/2019/07/18/profile-james-hoffmann/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SprudgeInt2014">{{cite news |title=An Interview With James Hoffmann, Author Of The World Atlas Of Coffee |url=https://sprudge.com/james-hoffmann-world-atlas-of-coffee-67733.html |access-date=11 August 2022 |work=sprudge.com |date=22 December 2014 |archive-date=28 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028184312/https://sprudge.com/james-hoffmann-world-atlas-of-coffee-67733.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Australia=== {{see also|Coffee in Australia}} The third wave of coffee has been popular in Australia. Melbourne is known as the "capital of coffee" with its many cafes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://foodifox.com.au/the-third-wave-of-coffee-and-how-it-came-to-be/ | title=The Third Wave of Coffee and How It Came to be | Foodifox | access-date=2023-03-04 | archive-date=2023-03-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304045200/https://foodifox.com.au/the-third-wave-of-coffee-and-how-it-came-to-be/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Australians have won the World Barista Championship three times in 2003, 2015, and 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title= World Barista Championship |url=https://www.worldbaristachampionship.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2003-WBC-Result.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240705053952/https://www.worldbaristachampionship.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2003-WBC-Result.pdf |archive-date=2024-07-05 |access-date=2025-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=World Barista Championship |url=https://www.worldbaristachampionship.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2015-WBC-Final-Rankings-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002152218/https://www.worldbaristachampionship.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2015-WBC-Final-Rankings-1.pdf |archive-date=2023-10-02 |access-date=2025-02-17 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-07 |title=Here Are The Winners Of The 2022 World Barista Championship & World Brewers Cup |url=https://sprudge.com/here-are-the-winners-of-the-2022-world-barista-championship-world-brewers-cup-192480.html |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=sprudge.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Use of the term== The third-wave of coffee has been chronicled by publications such as ''The New York Times'',<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/fashion/29Cuppings.html |title=Do I Detect a Hint of ... Joe? |work=The New York Times |date=May 29, 2008 |author=Hannah Wallace |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301191449/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/fashion/29Cuppings.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/travel/09foraging.html |title=Los Angeles: Intelligentsia |work=The New York Times |date=March 9, 2008 |author=Gregory Dicum |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-date=May 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518011754/http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/travel/09foraging.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/thecity/26coff.html |title=Bean Town |work=The New York Times |date=October 24, 2008 |author=Ted Botha |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301171347/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/nyregion/thecity/26coff.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''LA Weekly'',<ref name="LAWeekly_2008-12-03">{{Cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2008-03-13/eat-drink/the-latest-buzz |title=La Mill: The Latest Buzz |work=LA Weekly |date=March 12, 2008 |author=Jonathan Gold |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219141056/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-03-13/eat-drink/the-latest-buzz |archive-date=December 19, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2009-01-01/eat-drink/the-10-best-dishes-of-2008 |title=The 10 Best Dishes of 2008 |work=LA Weekly |date=December 31, 2008 |author=Jonathan Gold |access-date=2009-07-01 |archive-date=2014-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226224759/http://www.laweekly.com/2009-01-01/eat-drink/the-10-best-dishes-of-2008/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2008-08-21/eat-drink/palate-food-amp-wine-charcuterie-that-39-s-a-cut-above |title=Tierra Mia Explores Coffee for the Latino Palate |work=LA Weekly |date=August 20, 2008 |author=Jonathan Gold |access-date=2009-07-01 |archive-date=2014-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226224923/http://www.laweekly.com/2008-08-21/eat-drink/palate-food-amp-wine-charcuterie-that-39-s-a-cut-above/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Los Angeles Times'',<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-roast102506,0,1608401.story |title=Artisans of the roast |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 25, 2006 |author=Amy Scattergood |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-date=May 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530093827/http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-roast102506,0,1608401.story |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-sep-15-fi-smallbiz15-story.html |title=Coffeehouse Serves the Latino Community |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 15, 2008 |author=Cyndia Zwahlen |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-date=May 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531171441/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/15/business/fi-smallbiz15 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{r |latimes-2019-10-04}} ''La Opinión''<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.impre.com/negocios-finanzas/2008/9/7/cafe-gourmet-pese-a-la-crisis-79359-1.html |title=Cafe Gourmet Pese La Crisis |work=La Opinion |date=September 7, 2008 |author=Yolanda Arenales |language=es |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-date=September 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914164735/http://www.impre.com/negocios-finanzas/2008/9/7/cafe-gourmet-pese-a-la-crisis-79359-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''The Guardian''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/mar/16/best-barista-britain-coffee |title=It's the third wave of coffee! |work=The Guardian |date=March 16, 2009 |author=Stuart Jeffries |access-date=December 17, 2016 |archive-date=March 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301230600/https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/mar/16/best-barista-britain-coffee |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2008, the food critic Jonathan Gold of ''LA Weekly'' defined the third wave of coffee:

{{Blockquote|The first wave of American coffee culture was probably the 19th-century surge that put Folgers on every table, and the second was the proliferation, starting in the 1960s at Peet's and moving smartly through the Starbucks grande decaf latte, of espresso drinks and regionally labeled coffee. We are now in the third wave of coffee connoisseurship, where beans are sourced from farms instead of countries, roasting is about bringing out rather than incinerating the unique characteristics of each bean, and the flavor is clean and hard and pure.<ref name="LAWeekly_2008-12-03"/>}}

The earlier term "specialty coffee" was coined in 1974, and refers narrowly to high-quality beans scoring 80 points or more on a 100-point scale.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://fairtradeamerica.org/Media-Center/Blog/2017/April/Is-Your-Coffee-Special |title=Are Your Small Batch Coffee Beans Special? |website=fairtradeamerica.org |date=15 April 2017 |access-date=April 18, 2018 |archive-date=19 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419120721/http://www.fairtradeamerica.org/Media-Center/Blog/2017/April/Is-Your-Coffee-Special |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Status== Across the US and Canada, there are many third-wave roasters, and some stand-alone coffee shops or small chains that roast their own coffee. There are a few larger businesses, more prominent in roasting than in operating. The "Big Three of Third Wave Coffee"<ref>[http://www.portafilter.net/2009/12/decades-top-ten-in-specialty-coffee.html The Decade's Top Ten in Specialty Coffee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220104140/http://www.portafilter.net/2009/12/decades-top-ten-in-specialty-coffee.html |date=2010-02-20 }}, Nick Cho, December 31, 2009; also references Michaele Weissman's "God in a Cup," which features the group collectively.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2008/06/30/coffee/index1.html |title=Good to the last drop |date=June 30, 2008 |author=Monica Bhide |work=Salon |access-date=April 7, 2010 |archive-date=June 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612083324/http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2008/06/30/coffee/index1.html |url-status=live }} Elaborates that these three were widely cited in the industry as most influential.</ref> in the US are Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea of Chicago; Stumptown Coffee Roasters of Portland, Oregon; and Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, North Carolina, all of which engage in direct trade sourcing. Intelligentsia had seven bars – four in Chicago, three in Los Angeles, together with one "lab" in New York {{asof|2015|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/location/new-york-training-lab |title=New York Training Lab - Intelligentsia Coffee |access-date=December 13, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115818/http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/location/new-york-training-lab |url-status=dead }}</ref> Stumptown had 11 bars: five bars in Portland, one in Seattle, two in New York, one in Los Angeles, one in Chicago, and one in New Orleans {{asof|2015|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stumptowncoffee.com/locations/ |title=Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Coffee Shop Locations |work=Stumptown Coffee Roasters |access-date=December 13, 2015 |archive-date=December 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210025841/https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/locations/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref> {{Cite magazine |issn=0040-781X |title=Is Stumptown the New Starbucks—or Better? |magazine=Time |access-date=April 7, 2010 |date=March 9, 2010 |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1970653,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310222005/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1970653,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2010 |first=Josh |last=Ozersky }} </ref> Counter Culture had eight regional training centers that do not function as retail stores: one in each of: Chicago, Atlanta, Asheville, Durham, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston at the time. By comparison, Starbucks had over 23,000 cafes worldwide as of 2015.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |title=Peet's rides coffee's 'third wave' with stake in Intelligentsia |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-intelligentsiacoffee-m-a-peets-idUSKCN0SO24220151030 |newspaper=Reuters |date=October 30, 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2015 |archive-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119081737/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/30/us-intelligentsiacoffee-m-a-peets-idUSKCN0SO24220151030 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Both Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea and Stumptown Coffee Roasters were acquired by Peet's Coffee & Tea (itself part of JAB Holding Company) in 2015.<ref name=":0"/> At that time, Philz Coffee (headquartered in Oakland, California), Verve Coffee Roasters (headquartered in Santa Cruz, California) and Blue Bottle Coffee (headquartered in Oakland, California) were also considered major players in third-wave coffee.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Li |first=Roland |date=Jan 5, 2024 |title=Philz Coffee shutters S.F. shop, moves HQ out of the city |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/philz-coffee-hq-leaving-s-f-18592108.php# |access-date=June 25, 2024 |work=San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref>

In 2014, Starbucks invested around $20 million in a coffee roastery and tasting room in Seattle, targeting the third-wave market.<ref name=":0" /> Starbucks' standard cafes use automated espresso machines which are faster and require less training than conventional espresso machines used by third-wave competitors.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

Category:Coffee culture Category:1999 neologisms Category:History of coffee