Phin Party: Vietnamese Coffee Roasting, Phin Filter Brewing & Cupping | SightGlass Event Recap

February 19, 2020 2 min read

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On February 1st, Nguyen Coffee Supply had its inaugural SightGlass event at our roasting facility in Brooklyn. For the first of this series, we held a Phin Party: a three-part Vietnamese coffee experience that included an introduction to roasting, cupping demonstrations of arabica and robusta beans, and phin filter brewing!

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At the first station, participants learned the basics about the roasting process, the Loring roaster, and the mission of Nguyen Coffee Supply. As an innovator and leader in the Vietnamese coffee space, we detailed the steps of how our beans go from tree to cup. Our approach for roasting arabica beans and robusta beans are very different since the beans themselves are different. Robusta beans have nearly 2 times more caffeine content than arabica beans, as well as 60% less sugars and fats. We always roast our arabica and robusta beans separately.

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Next, we had a cupping station where our roasted beans (from 5 days prior) were brewed for blind taste tests. We oftentimes enjoy doing the blind taste test approach with new guests so that we can strip away any preconceived notions we might have about arabica and robusta beans. We ask that attendees simply experience the coffees from a neutral position, focusing on scent, taste, and personal reactions. Attendees learned the ins and outs of quality control, flavor profiles, and other identification and taste markers in brewed coffee. During the different stages of cupping, we ask attendees to point to the cup they like the most. At the end, we reveal the coffees. Loyalty and Grit turned out to be the biggest crowd pleasers.

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Part education and part demonstration, at the last SightGlass station we showed attendees how to brew their own cup of coffee via a Vietnamese phin filter while learning about the origins of this tool and placement within Vietnamese coffee culture.

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Throughout the event, conversations were had and questions were answered regarding all things coffee, community, and culture. From different coffee types to how to best brew Vietnamese coffee beans to how Nguyen Coffee Supply is changing the narrative of Vietnamese coffee in North America, the conversation was riveting! Join us for the next SightGlass, held every first Saturday of the month.

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