Kennesaw State students were presented with “Deconstructing Coffee: A Talk and a Cupping” in the Sturgis Library on Jan. 21.
The event’s host, Aajay Murphy, began his presentation by addressing a myth that many coffee drinkers believe.
“Coffee is not a bean like all of us think,” Murphy said. “Coffee is a fruit.”
Murphy pulled from his experience working as a barista at local coffee shops to explain the different levels of the coffee industry.
“You can be a consumer, you can work in a coffee shop, you can be an importer on a farm, or be a picker,” Murphy said.
He explained that, because of the work that is put into the beloved beverage, it is important to think about who helped make that coffee before throwing it away. Though coffee is generally inexpensive to make, Murphy explained that the drink’s high price is mostly due to the coffee shops themselves.
“You have to pay for rent when renting out spaces for a shop, and upkeep,” Murphy said. “There are many factors that go into making coffee.”
He also covered the cupping process and why it is so important in the coffee industry.
“Cupping is something new importers do when they need to sample coffee,” Murphy said. “Others do it for quality control.”
He then invited guests to join the cupping process with coffee from Guatemala, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and Brazil.
The process started by smelling the dry, ground coffee. Then hot water was poured into the cups, and Murphy instructed everyone to smell them again. He broke the crust and released the distinct aromas of the coffee. Lastly, everyone was asked to sip the coffee and decide which one tasted the best.
Freshman business major Brion Barber enjoyed the cupping process and, especially, the coffee tasting.
“It was really good,” Barber said. “The coffee from Ethiopia was my favorite.”
Junior culinary major Annemarie Beaty also enjoyed the coffee she tried, but said she normally makes her own coffee at home.
“I usually make my own coffee in order to try a wide variety of flavors,” Beaty said.
Murphy manages the library’s digital commons, but he has also spent 10 years in the coffee industry. His goal was to teach students the origin of coffee and the overall importance it has on society.
