Before there was third wave coffee, there was Trish Rothgeb.
Nearly 20 years ago, Trish wrote a brief article surmising changes in the coffee scene where she saw it in Norway, and termed it as a third wave in coffee.
Trish teaching Q Calibration at Bettr Barista.
For those unfamiliar with the term “third wave”, it refers to the industry shift towards specialty coffee. The first wave was mass produced, ground coffee like Folger’s that began appearing as a household item in the 1950s. The second wave of coffee was the rise of multinational chains, like Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Specialty coffee, which focuses more on quality, brewing technique, and the intricacies of coffee, is what we’re experiencing in the third wave.
Trish has since helped shape the world of third wave coffee as a roaster, trainer, and Q-Grader. Bettr Barista Coffee Academy is the only place where she now chooses to teach Q-grading, apart from her own coffee company in San Francisco, where her coffee journey began.