Coffee 101: The Trending Coffee Lingo You Need to Know in Seattle

To coffee lovers, Seattle is something of a mecca. Home to Starbucks, Peet’s, CaffeVita, Victrola, and a host of other specialty coffee companies, it’s been a coffee destination for decades. If you’re roaming about the city, it’s impossible to walk more than a couple of blocks without bumping into an espresso bar, coffee cart, or specialty shop. Prepare yourself for a visit with a little bit of trending coffee vocabulary—you’ll sound like an aficionado.

Cupping

Coffee roasters and connoisseurs alike often partake in coffee cupping. This is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Roasters and coffee professionals do this to determine the quality of the coffee they intend to sell. In Seattle, it’s popular for specialty coffee shops to host coffee cuppings to allow their consumers the opportunity to connect with the coffee they’re drinking, and with the people who are sourcing, roasting, and brewing it.