General knowledge of Fine Coffee Culture Fine Coffee Culture in the Philippines

Coffee culture in the Philippines is undergoing its third reform, which is what we call the "third wave". Filipinos are already familiar with instant coffee, the traditional and rare coffee variety Barako and coffee chains. Local boutique coffee also plays an important role in Philippine coffee culture, and everyone is open to accepting and learning new things. Opportunity for Philippine boutique coffee pioneer Mr. SlySilvesterSamonte, co-founder of CuratorCoffee&Cocktails and founder of CraftCoffeeWorkshop and EDSA beverage design companies.

Early career

SlySilvesterSamonte formed a bond with coffee, starting with a mocha pot and a small camping stove, and then visited some great Italian coffee shops while in college. A French press, some Kopi Luwak, Singapore's boutique coffee attracted me. I tried a lot of coffee before I started baking at home. I was lucky to buy coffee beans from raw bean traders, "Sly said. This is also where Sly started baking, cup testing and information exchange with Singapore roasters. When he returned to the Philippines two years ago, he immediately began to look for local supplies of raw beans, but could not find the high-quality coffee beans he had in Singapore. "then I started looking for coffee machines, and after talking to my friend MariaGorre, she helped me get in touch with MikeCanlas, a training and consultant at PBCA, and then I met Raymond, Raymond from ElKapitanCoffee, who was selling Ascaso coffee machines. I bought one from him and began to exchange ideas with him about coffee, and opening a bakery was one of them. PeterOng joined us, and that was the beginning of CraftCoffee Studio, "Sly explained.

TheCurator,Coffee&Cocktails and EDSA Beverage Design

Sly currently has two projects on hand. As partners of CuratorCoffee&Cocktail, Sly and KevinFortu, the Philippine barista champion, oversees coffee, David manages operations, and Tiffany and Jeriscon oversees cocktails. They are committed to providing quality service and efficient execution in boutique coffee, as well as elaborate cocktails in the evening. Both types of drinks contain alcohol and coffee, which is extremely rare in other parts of the region. Another Sly project is EDSA Beverage Design, also known as EDSA-BDG, a platform that provides creative space for beverage makers. The name is a tribute to the man and the street, inspired by their idealism and motivation to build a better country. The team is committed to contributing to improving the quality of drinks in the Philippines and around the world. It is also a platform that provides well-equipped facilities to design and develop drinks so that boutique production and tasting can be realized. Our first product will be a boutique coffee brand, including baked beans, equipment, training and custom coffee experience and design. Our team is currently working on the second and third products, including beer and bottled drinks. We expect to open in late January and early February 2014.

The demand for quality

When chains such as Starbucks, Vanilla and Figaro entered the Philippine market 15 years ago, coffee was not as profitable as it used to be. However, the borderless information on the Internet has extended coffee to coffee without borders. The easiest way to find the latest news is through the "Internet", and today's instant messaging allows people to express their views and seek different opinions. One of the great advantages of the Philippines is that we have many compatriots working abroad. Those who have worked in countries with a mature coffee culture can bring culture and knowledge back. The market demand for quality we see is not only limited to coffee, but also extends to the demand for food quality. The catering industry has also developed with coffee in the past three years. Because our Filipino chef has brought back the superb cooking skills we learned abroad, we in the Philippines now have almost all kinds of dishes.

The Future of Fine Coffee in the Philippines

Sly firmly believes that boutique coffee has a bright future in the Philippines. "We have witnessed the emergence of a lot of boutique cafes in 2012, and then six or seven new ones in 2013, and I witnessed the same phenomenon when I was in Singapore when cafes such as Highlander,Oriole opened. Curator has received a lot of attention from locals and foreigners, and the store is full during the holidays. Consumers are interested in new coffee options, and we hope that the government will support the development of boutique coffee in China, which also includes the Arabica coffee growing industry. " Sly told us. (transferred from CTI Magazine)