Discover the Art of Coffee Cupping: NYC’s Professional Tasting Sessions Transform Coffee Lovers into Connoisseurs

New York City’s specialty coffee scene has evolved far beyond simple espresso shots and latte art. Cupping is a standardized process of evaluating the taste and aroma of brewed coffee to select and maintain quality of roasted coffee beans. This professional technique, once reserved exclusively for coffee buyers and roasters, is now accessible to everyday coffee enthusiasts through specialized tasting sessions offered throughout the city.

What is Coffee Cupping?

Coffee cupping is the systematic method used for evaluating different aspects of coffee. Unlike your typical coffee tasting, cupping follows a regimented protocol that allows participants to assess multiple coffees simultaneously without the influence of different brewing methods. The coffees are tasted in a traditional cupping setting, which allows us to taste the coffee without the influence of the brew method.

There are generally three stages in the cupping experience: Smelling the grinds, smelling the brewed coffee from those grinds, and tasting the brewed coffee using spoons. Professional cuppers evaluate each coffee’s flavor, aroma, aftertaste, acidity, body, uniformity, balance and sweetness.

NYC’s Premier Coffee Cupping Venues

Several established coffee roasters and cafes across New York City offer professional cupping sessions for both beginners and coffee industry professionals:

SEY Coffee – Monthly Public Cuppings

The first Sunday of every month, step into the roastery with our head roaster, Andrew, to sniff, slurp and discuss ALL of SEY’s current coffee offerings. Open to first-timers and industry folk alike, we hope that anybody with a curious palate will join us around the cupping table. Tickets are $25 per person, and include a 250g retail bag of any of our seasonal offerings to take home after the event.

Joe Coffee Company

Joe Coffee opened its first café in the West Village in what is still one of the most charming spots in the city, and it’s since expanded to eight cafés in Manhattan and two in Philadelphia. Upcoming cuppings, usually Fridays or Saturdays every three to four weeks, are listed on the website under the classes section. They cost $25 and require sign-ups.

Voyager Espresso

Voyager Coffee has been serving high-quality coffee and espresso in NYC’s Financial District since 2015. Their cupping experiences are offered through ClassBento and provide an introduction to the coffee flavor profile, coffee fragrance, and aroma analysis.

Counter Culture Coffee Training Center

Counter Culture offers comprehensive Cupping and Palate Development Workshops that introduce students to the practice of cupping: the industry standard for assessing and understanding coffee. This workshop includes two coffee cuppings as well as sensory activities; it is scheduled for four hours with a break halfway through the session.

What to Expect at Your First Cupping Session

Coffee cupping sessions are designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of experience level. Knowledge required: Perfect for beginners. Coffee has more than 800 aromatic compounds compared to the 300-400 aromatic compounds found in wine.

During a typical session, you’ll taste four different coffees from around the world, and explore each of their unique taste profiles. We’ll start with a short presentation on coffee tasting, and then proceed to an interactive coffee tasting session, also known as a “coffee cupping.”

Cuppings are a kind of coffee social, chaperoned by knowledgeable baristas who are willing to listen to any description, no matter how outlandish, with a straight face. The experience helps participants understand the terms used by coffee professionals to describe a coffee, and experience how different coffees can taste based on where they are from and how they have been roasted.

Benefits for Coffee Enthusiasts

Participating in professional coffee cupping sessions offers numerous advantages for coffee lovers looking to deepen their appreciation:

• By the end of class, you’ll have learned how to taste and evaluate coffee like a coffee professional, with a deeper understanding and appreciation for how it was produced.
• By the end you’ll feel caffeinated and confident when it comes to selecting your next bag of beans for home brewing.
• If you are interested in moving beyond evaluating coffee on the basic levels of “good / not good” and getting into a true multi-sensory critique of your coffee based on different aspects of its flavor profile and more, this experience is for you.

The NYC Coffee Culture Experience

New York’s coffee scene has transformed dramatically, with what was once a relatively quick, less-than-$3 transaction has become increasingly complex (and delicious). Buying a cup of coffee might now include selecting one of myriad brewing methods, having your coffee run through a multitude of contraptions, witnessing theatrical presentations, perusing lists of beans organized by country of origin.

For those seeking a unique coffee experience that combines artistry with expertise, exploring NYC’s diverse cafe scene is essential. Whether you’re visiting a specialty roaster for a cupping session or discovering a Coffee Shop NYC that combines art with exceptional coffee, the city offers endless opportunities to expand your palate and appreciation for this beloved beverage.

Getting Started

You can do this for free (or at a reasonable cost) in Manhattan and Brooklyn on weekdays and weekends. Most sessions require advance booking and typically cost between $25-50, often including take-home coffee samples.

And as with wine tasting, you don’t need to be a coffee geek to partake. Designed for everyone, our public cupping is perfect for coffee lovers and professionals alike. Students will learn the history and practices of cupping in a full sensory experience, and will leave with a deeper understanding and enjoyment for coffee.

Coffee cupping represents the perfect intersection of education and enjoyment, offering New Yorkers a sophisticated way to explore one of the world’s most complex beverages. Whether you’re a casual coffee drinker or an aspiring connoisseur, these professional tasting sessions provide an invaluable gateway into the rich world of specialty coffee.