SINGAPORE – From how to make the perfect flat white at home to how to tell a good brew from a bad one, coffee lovers will have many tips to pick up at next month’s Singapore Coffee Festival 2017.
There will be a total of 25 coffee-related workshops conducted by experts from Oriole Coffee + Bar, Jewel Coffee, Seed Coffee, Common Man Coffee Roasters and more at the festival, which runs from Aug 3 to 6 at Marina Bay Cruise Centre.
Organised by The Straits Times and presented by DBS Bank, it is now into its second year.
Other workshop topics include home roasting, cleaning your coffee machine, organic coffee production, coffee and chocolate pairings, and DIY coffee cocktails.
These workshops, called Lab sessions, are free for festival ticket holders with the exception of Coffee Degustation Session: The Pourover Bar x Foxhole Café. It costs $50 per person.
Conducted by cafe The Pourover Bar, coffee connoisseurs will get to try eight Ninety Plus Coffee Beans, comprising at least five Gesha varieties. These rare beans are prized for their multi-faceted flavours and complexities.
Lab sessions range from 45 to 60 minutes, with seating capacity for 30 to 35 people. Registration is required. Go to “Programmes” at sgcoffeefestival.com.sg to find out more. Some workshops are already full, such as one that combines cold brew coffee and whisky conducted by The Refinery.
Ms Fiona Chan, head of Group Strategy and Analytics at Singapore Press Holdings, says that response to last year’s workshops at the inaugural Singapore Coffee Festival was “overwhelming”, with most fully subscribed quickly.
She says: “This year we have tied up with more exhibitors to conduct more workshops. There are more slots and also more variety. Instead of doing hands-on workshops, we are conducting mostly talks and demos, although there will still be hands-on opportunities.”
Oriole Coffee + Bar’s master roaster Casey Blanche, 38, will conduct a coffee-appreciation session that he likens to a wine tasting, with participants trying top-quality coffees such as Colombia Maria Chavez and Ethiopia Shakiso.
They will learn to recognise coffee flavour attributes and professionally score these attributes.
Mr Blanche says: “Many people in Singapore are not exposed to quality, speciality coffee. This talk will help them to understand and appreciate different types of coffee, and make educated buying decisions based on their preferences.”
For those who want to try their hand at something other than coffee, there will be artisanal workshops at the festival where one can craft leather card holders, create flower-shaped candy, and make wooden stamps and fragrances. Registration is required for the workshops and some will require a fee.
Singapore Coffee Festival
Where: Marina Bay Cruise Centre, 61 Marina Coastal Drive
When: Aug 3 (for trade and media only, register at www.sgcoffeefestival.com); two sessions daily from Aug 4 to 6, 10am to 3.30pm and 4.30pm to 10pm
Admission: $22, $18 (DBS and POSB card holders, ST subscribers)
Info: Go to www.sgcoffeefestival.com or e-mail sgcoffeefest@sph.com.sg.
Elisabeth Gwee
