The Coffee Journal
Specialty coffee
Understanding what’s in your cup
Introduction guide · Carrera Café
Everyone drinks coffee. But how many people really know what’s in their cup? Here, we explain the difference between ordinary coffee and specialty coffee — without drowning you in jargon.
What is it?
What exactly is specialty coffee?
It’s a coffee that scored 80/100 or more according to the Specialty Coffee Association criteria. Traceable origin, careful harvest, precise roasting. Every step counts.
Unlike mass coffee — blended, anonymous, dark roasted to hide defects — specialty coffee tells a story. A country, a farm, a producer. A season.
The value chain
From the plot to your cup
Like in Formula 1, every link in the chain makes a difference. A genius driver with a poorly tuned car doesn’t win. An exceptional bean poorly roasted is the same.
Step 1
The producer
Altitude, variety, pulping process. Quality is born here.
Step 2
The roaster
Heating curves, aroma development. The art of transformation.
Step 3
The barista
Extraction, temperature, grind. The last mile before the flag.
Our artisan partners
We work with three exceptional Quebec roasters — Brûlerie Rousseau, Tokad, and Géogène — because they share the same obsession: the product above all.
Every coffee on our menu is selected for its tasting notes, traceability, and story. You won’t find any nameless coffee here.
To go further
How to learn to taste?
Tasting is a skill you learn. Like driving fast — at first, you survive. Then, you start to feel the difference between a well-taken curve and one that slips away.
Our Barista Discovery trainings are made for that. In 3 hours, you’ll leave with references. And above all, with a new perspective on what you put in your cup every morning.
Barista Discovery Training — 3h · Petit-Champlain, Quebec
Groups of 4 to 8 people. Beginners welcome.
Pole Position
Ready to take it to the next level?
Come taste the difference in person. Our team is here to guide you through the world of specialty coffee, hassle-free.
See the training courses
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