House Notes: How I learned to enjoy coffee

I hated coffee for most of my life. Every once in a while, I’d try a sip of the day old slop from the break room machine that my coworkers seemed addicted to, always coming to the same conclusion: Ya’ll are crazy. This is crap.  

When I became a full time traveler in 2022, spending months at a time working remotely in Europe and South America, I found myself in a predicament. Many of the cafes that I’d visit and love had very limited menus. I couldn’t find my go-to Chai Latte anywhere and I needed to order something to feel better about taking up a seat for hours with my laptop. I disliked being the American who had to have everything my way more than the taste of coffee itself, so I forced myself to start drinking it. After all, I was the visitor. I needed to find a way to fit in. 

During my first few weeks in Spain and Portugal, I started with cappuccinos because it seemed to have more milk than coffee so I figured I could bear it. 

Soon, the Americano became my go-to drink, mainly because it cost slightly less and I could sip on it for longer in a cafe while working. I paid no attention to the taste though. I was all about efficiency as a digital nomad and I didn’t have any interest in experimenting with something I tolerated. 

When I started the Guesthouse, I drank my americano out of necessity, not for taste. It was reliably okay. I didn’t know the significance of origin, process, or roast type and I figured the syrups and milks were what changed the taste of each drink, not the coffee itself. I had no reason to start trying black coffee again either since I was convinced I’d hate it all. 

This changed when I met my now good friend named Natti, who invited me to try a variety of speciality coffees with her through a cupping session. Natti is a nationally ranked competitive barista who lives for coffee (side note: Am I the only one who didn’t know competitive coffee was a thing?) She spoke a different language than me when it came to a refined flavor palette, but she also kindly walked me through how true professionals try coffee. This is a picture of Lizzie and I during a cupping session.

For those that don’t know, a cupping session is a formal method of evaluating the characteristics of a coffee. Roasters use this multi-step process to assess their roasts in small cups through a combination of smelling grinds and slurping samples with spoons. It’s the easiest way to quickly identify flavor notes of each product side by side and pick out changes that can happen in the coffee beans or roasting process over time. 

Put simply, it’s a more involved taste test. You can read more about it here. 

During my first session, Natti led me through each step of cupping, sampling eight different types of coffee side by side. I trusted her because of how passionate she was and I put my ego aside in thinking that I already knew how black coffee was supposed to taste. I tried Ethiopian and Guatemalan, washed and sun-dried, light and dark roasted coffees, slowly listening to the complex flavors Natti would describe while trying my best to put words to what I was tasting. 

I took my first sip of a single origin Panamanian coffee with tasting notes of Strawberry, Lime, and Milk Chocolate, and my skeptical brain did a double take. This didn’t taste like the boiling mud water I was expecting. This was bright, fruity, and smooth— it almost tasted like a tea. 

This was the moment that everything changed for me. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed the taste. 

I realized I had written off the whole world of speciality coffee because of a few burnt cups. There are so many ways to make coffee that can change the tasting experience as well. This was how I learned that espresso isn’t a type of coffee, but actually just a way of making coffee. The same beans that I can use for espresso can be used to make cold brew and black coffee, with each method resulting in its own distinct flavor. 

Regardless of how it’s made, a great cup takes care, style, and precision, more so than I ever appreciated. While I’ll happily admit that I still have a sweet tooth for a Vanilla Latte, I’m much more eager now to try new coffees because I take notice of the taste. I slow down and pay attention to what’s in my cup, knowing that if I don’t like it, there are plenty of other options out there that I will!

That first sip set me on a journey—one that shapes the type of roasts I offer and enjoy myself now. I use a similar method to cupping when I run my events as a simple way of introducing my customers to the world of speciality coffee and I love watching someone have their own aha moment when they taste a well-crafted cup of Guesthouse coffee for the first time. 

I just finished up a cupping session today and there are a few candidates that I’m excited to bring on as new roasts in the coming months. The Villa will rotate to a new seasonal flavor in 2 weeks, so if you’re in love with the current taste, order a few bags in the next week before it’s all gone.

Stay Positive,

Ian

P.S. Lizzie just launched her first newsletter. It's genuine and worth the read. Find it here. 

P.P.S. Connect with Natti here.