Hey Professional Cuppers,

The Connecticut Coffee Society is again hitting the Big Apple, but this time for the Coffee & Tea Festival! I know, I know.... April's event, before March??? It might seem like I'm jumping the gun here, but I want to give you all a heads up well in advance so that you can attend this event.

The Coffee & Tea Festival brings coffee, tea, and confectionary vendors all under one roof in a 30,000 sqft space to showcase their products and educate consumers. You know what that means right? Free samples, a sneak peak to this years coolest coffee/tea related products, live entertainment, and did I mention free samples??? Another reason to go is that funds raised for the event will be donated to Cup for Education, the same organization that we've been supporting in our cuppings!

Tickets go for $20 plus change, but because we're the from the Connecticut Coffee Society and are such an awesome group of people (really who is cooler than us?), we get our tickets for HALF PRICE! That is a total of $10.83 with tax!

To take advantage of this discount, go to the event website at www.coffeeandteafestival.com, click on "Buy Tickets Now and Save" and follow the on screen instructions. When you are prompted to select a date, make sure you choose *Sunday April 13th*. After you go through the initial screen asking you to input the quantity of tickets and are asked to "Verify Shopping Cart Contents", at the bottom input the groups special promotion code CTCOFFEE and click verify and you will see the price cut in half. Also, more information on the exhibitors and events can be found on the groups event's website.

For all of you interested in going and leaving from Stamford, we'll be meeting at the Stamford Train Station at 9:15 to take the 9:25 AM train into NYC. If we get enough people we will again have a discounted rate on train fare. I know, it just gets better and better...

If you have any questions regarding the event, purchasing tickets, or anything coffee related, please feel free to shoot me an email. Hope you all can make it and I'm looking forward to seeing you all.

Sincerely,

Donny Raus

Hello cupping professionals and newbies,

First off I'd like to wish each of you a Happy New Year! It is with great excitement that I announce the first meetup for the 2008 calendar year!

This year promises to be BETTER than the last. We have tons of great cuppings planned, with a lineup of roasters stretching from New York to Seattle, as well as, many topic specific cuppings.

To kick things off differently, we are going to integrate social events in between cuppings at local bars/restaurants. While cupping coffee is a hell of a lot of fun, I found that it didn't leave much time for all of us to get to know one another and that is sad because we've got a great group! Plus, it is a great excuse to get out, relax, and just enjoy life...

We've got a at least a couple dozen new members, so I figured what better way to kick off the New Year than with a Meet and Greet? This is the perfect opportunity to beak the ice and get to know one another in a casual, laid back atmosphere (yes coffee will be present).

The venue is a restaurant with a pretty awesome bar. For those of you who drink, I'm going to see if I can work out some specials with the owner. For those who don't, don't fret, they have non-alcoholic beverages and if that doest fit your fancy, they have a great menu.

Parking: There is a big garage right next to the venue. Park in there and we'll validate your parking ticket!

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email. Look forward to meeting and seeing you all again!

Sincerely,

Donny

Hello Cupping Professionals!

I hope you're all having a great summer. I don't know about you, but I can?t believe how quickly the summer has come and gone. I?m pretty upset that it is almost at an end, but on a happy note we get to cup again!!!

The results are in! After reviewing the poll on which day members would prefer to meetup and receiving several emails, we will hold next event on a weekday. The next meetup is going to be held on Thursday, September 13th at 7PM (See event details for location).

This month the topic is going to be coffee freshness/storage. In all my years in the coffee industry, the one question I'm confronted with most is, "How should I store my coffee???" With that question in mind, we will take an inside look into the three main coffee storage methods used by consumers, cupping the same coffee, stored for the same amount of time in each of these methods: freezer, refrigerator, and countertop. Which method works best in preserving coffee freshness you ask??? That is the question we are going to answer!

After all the fun is over, we'll sit back and enjoy some coffees prepared via French Press. Being that it is later than prior events, I'll be sure to have at least one decaf;)

I'm hoping to have some files posted on the website within the next week, which will include a beginners guide to cupping and a simplified cupping sheet with explanations.

There will be a intro to cupping/cupping sheet a half an hour before the event for all you Cupping Newbies and everyone else interested (6:30PM).

The event attendance fee will be $4 dollars. A third of the money collected will go towards covering some of the costs of supplies, website fees, and photocopying. The remaining two thirds will be donated to Grounds for Health.

Grounds for health is a organization I became aware of this past weekend at a retreat. They are an international non-profit organization providing health care services to the coffee-growing communities, in both Latin and Central America. Their focus on early detection and treatment of cervical cancer, which come to find out is the leading cause of death among women Latin American women lacking healthcare. If you would like more information on this organization you can visit their website at www.groundsforhealth.org

If you have any questions, comments, or need additional information, please do not hesitate to drop me an email. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Cheers!

Donny

Hey all you Cupping Professionals,

I have some Great news! Especially for all of you living in the New York area! I will be hosting a special intimate cupping 10:30AM this Friday at Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea NYC.

***It is even more special because ABC will be present! I got a call from ABC saying that they heard about our group and are interested in doing a story on it and talking to some of its members!!!***

We're going to be cupping 3 new coffees from Counter Culture Coffee. Of course I'm not going to tell you which ones. That would ruin all the fun... I will say that they are new offerings and hence, very few have had the opportunity and privilege to see these coffees on the cupping table.

From here on out we will dedicate a half an hour before each event for cupping newbies, covering some basic cupping etiquette. I think this will help out dramatically, allowing us to straight into the cupping section! Also, the cupping sheet form last event went over really well, so much so, that it has earned itself a permanent spot in the CCS.

*Photos from Sunday's event will be uploaded tonight, and should be available for viewing as early as tomorrow!

I apologize for limiting the number of attendees, but it space very limited. If you have any questions don't hesitate to give me a call at 203-820-9434 or drop me an email at connecticutcoffeesociety@gmail.com. Looking forward to the next cupping and seeing you all again!

Sincerely,
Donny Raus

Hello Everyone,

Great news! It is official! I am happy to announce that we have set a date for the first Connecticut Coffee Society meetup. The event will take place on Sunday May 27th 10:30AM, at Napa & Co. in downtown Stamford, CT.

As this will be the first time cupping for many of you, we'll kick off the meeting with a brief introduction on the art of cupping, touching upon the process involved, tools of the trade, and coffee etiquette, before getting down and dirty with some cupping exercises.

**It is all about building up a frame of reference** I hope that the more cuppings we do, the larger our reference library will get, and the easier it will be to point out the different characteristics in a particular coffee.

I am currently talking to one roaster on supplying three different origin coffees, each with different flavor profiles, so that you may get an idea as to the wide spectrum of coffee flavor. I should have the coffees secured by week's end. Once I have received a confirmation, I will post some information about the roaster as well as the coffees we're going to try.

I will supply all the materials needed. The only thing you have to do is show up! I will be at Napa & Co. at 10AM. Please feel free to arrive the same time or 15-20 minutes before the start to mingle and meet some of your fellow group members.

If you have any questions or need directions to the venue, please feel free to drop me an email. Looking forward to meeting you all and cupping some coffee!

Cheers,

Donny

"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce." - Oliver Wendall Holmes, Sr.