The Berlin Coffee festival is in its third edition. Since 2015, the organisers have established the festival as a fun event that welcomes all of the coffee drinking and coffee loving spectrum of Berlin and beyond.
1–4 September 2017, the festival invites the ‘mindful and lusty coffee drinkers’ for the Big Coffee Market day, a Pro Day for professionals in the industry, and also a two-day programme of multiple events happening around the capital. These are organised by the festival as well as by local businesses and coffee professionals, the visitors are in for a four-day treat!
Tastings, workshops, presentations and talks, this is an event that represents the best the ever-growing speciality coffee scene of Berlin.
We decided to give you the summary of the best events from the first two days of the festival, during which you can discover the city as well as meet the local coffee community. There are plenty of options to taste, learn, discover new cafes and roasters, but also to compete or to watch a coffee movie. Do not miss out on the following events!
Friday, 1st September
Ballroaster Roasting Competition at Bonanza Coffee Roasters
9 AM–6 PM @ Bonanza Coffee Roasters
Bonanza Coffee Roasters invited their favourite international roasters to attend the competition of roasting coffee on a refurbished 1920s Barth Ball Roaster. Come watch the roasters work their magic on this beautiful piece of the early roasting engineering and taste the results 3rd September when you can also buy the coffees for home brewing.
An important piece of information: all proceeds from the coffee will be donated to The Coffee Club, a project teaching sustainable agronomy and business practices to students in Tanzania.
Berlin Coffee Tour
10 AM & 2 PM @ Kaffee9
To get a good understanding of how the coffee culture has evolved in Berlin over the years, you should embark on a walk through some of the best coffee shops in the city. The meeting point is Kaffee9, from where you will go through various districts and taste many delicious coffees, learning about the history of coffee in the capital.
Brewbox Tap Takeover
10 AM @ R/D Coffee & Craft Beer
If you want to kick the day off with a fresh twist, head to the north of Mitte, to one of the newest cafes run by the team behind Oslo Kaffeebar, R/D Coffee & Craft Beer. There, the Nitro Coffee company Brewbox will take over their bar with their own line of Nitro coffees. Those have been a hit that has been gaining more attention with the thirsty public of Berlin.
Röster Camp
10 AM–6 PM @ Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks [Central Association of German Trade]
The German Roasters Guild invites all roasters and coffee experts for a roaster camp, during which a varied programme will cover topics such as fire safety at a roastery, coffee fees or the current state of the Cascara ban in Germany. The lectures and presentations are happening throughout the whole day.
Comandante Cup
2 PM @ The Barn
One day before the German Aeropress Championship, The Barn and Comandante throw a Freestyle Brewers Cup – any method is allowed in order to brew the best cup. You need to use a Comandante grinder, and perhaps you will win one of their limited edition grinders as well! Come check out the second edition of this competition.
Batch Brew: Key points to consider in a modern coffee service
2:30 PM @ Sander-Tech
Nicole Pilz of Bunn will introduce some focus points in regards to modern batch brewing. A useful lecture for anyone considering the batch brew filter coffee for their shop, or anyone trying to understand the value there is to batch brewed coffee.
Film screening: Coffees – Italians do it better (?)
5:30 PM @ Sander-Tech
Sander-Tech will host the screening of the movie that covers the Italian coffee-drinking culture and its current challenges. The directors of the movie will also be present, so come watch it if you would like to know more about the current state of the coffee culture of the inventors of the espresso machine, how is the culture affected by the coffee-chain culture, or what and how can be done better, in regards to the modern techniques in the world of coffee.
Chemex Cup 2017
6 PM @ Coffee Circle
Coffee Circle roastery is hosting the first international Chemex Cup! Anyone can apply to attend and bring their coffee-brewing skills to the table!
The winners can look forward to awesome Chemex trophies and gift cards for the Coffee Circle Onlineshop for up to 200 €. Craft Beer and awesome food by Ju’s Bar will help you ease into the social evening.
Berlin Coffee Festival Opening Party
9 PM @ Auster Club
Berlin Coffee Festival always kicks off with a big party. This time hosted by Auster Club, located beneath Markthalle Neun, it will be an exuberant party with coffee, craft beer, coffee-infused beers and good music. Tickets are five euros, everyone will be there!
Saturday, 2nd September
Der Karlsbader Kannen Cup 2017
10 AM @ The Berlin School of Coffee
Start the day at another competition that is happening during the festival. Hosted by The Berlin School of Coffee, you can test your skills against other brewers using the traditional Karlsbader Kannen. The winner gets a Comandante Nitro Blade grinder!
Fellow Kettle Cup Tasting Battle
12 AM @ Röststätte
If you would like to test your cupping and sensory skills and potentially win a sweet piece of equipment for home brewing, you should take part in this battle. Cup and determine the origin of each coffee and the kettle can be yours!
The new generation of infusion coffee brewer
1 PM @ Röststätte
Since you are already there, check out the new batch brewer by Bunn. The Bunn infusion series 3.0 will be showcased at Röststätte, with an explanation of its functions.
2017 German AeroPress Championship
3 PM–9 PM @ The Five Elephant Coffee Roastery
Five Elephant is turning their roastery into a competition stage for this year’s German AeroPress championship. There will be BBQ, craft beer and a big crowd to support the competitors fighting for a trip to Seoul, South Korea, where the World AeroPress Championship will take place in early November.
Women’s Latte Art Throwdown
3 PM @ VA Espresso Machines
Not attending the German AeroPress? Come compete or at least cheer on the ladies pouring their best latte art in this female-only competition. The competition is on the first-come-first-serve basis and the winner takes home a nice 100€ pocket money. It is hosted by Victoria Arduino’s—our partners—espresso machines distributor. It is worth checking out the shop itself!
Coffee Cocktails & Disco
8 PM @ Commonground
One party is never enough, so if you are—after all the coffees you surely are—ready for a different drink, come check out the fairly new Commonground cafe and their great coffee cocktail menu. Live Dj included!
The Main Day at Markthalle Neun
Do not forget to come to Markthalle Neun the following day, Sunday, 3 September for some shots of recover espressos after the Saturday party, and to check out the many talented roasters and baristas of Berlin showcase their current range of coffees. Food will not be missed either, it is after all the biggest and the most popular food market in Berlin!
After you fully wake up your senses, don’t forget to pop in for a coffee debate. Those will be focused on the topics of Speciality Coffee – what it is, what certifications are there and what do they represent, Direct Trade and its transparency policy. There will be also a talk on the Women in Coffee, hosted by the Feminist Food Club of Berlin.
For those interested in delving deeper into the coffee industry, the Pro Day is there for you, Monday, 4 September. Coffee roasters, machine manufacturers and service providers and other producers will be on hand to answer your questions. Come to discuss what interests you, make contacts, find out how to support independent coffee producers and more!
We hope you will enjoy the festival!
