The Espresso Sessions event featured some of the best baristas in Cebu.
Cebuanos love their coffee. There are cafes everywhere, with people looking to get a cup of joe first thing in the morning or at any time of the day.
Local coffee shops produce hundreds of this popular beverage on a daily basis, even those located in far-flung areas of Cebu.
That being said, many of Cebu’s most talented baristas gathered at the Espresso Sessions – a coffee festival held at Ayala Central Bloc in I.T. Park.
Coffee businesses from around the island showcased their delicious brewed creations at the festival exhibit.
Visitors at the event took lessons on how to do latte art.
The coffee festival was more than just the making and drinking aspect, however. Coffee artists and baristas were there to teach lessons on coffee painting and how to do latte art for beginners, with various workshops and activities for guests to take part in.
Local artists also brought dazzling artwork with intricate designs, many of which were coffee-inspired.
At the event were several local businesses selling their own coffee products.
WHO WAS AT THE COFFEE FESTIVAL?
Espresso Sessions featured a number of up-and-coming businesses that offer various caffeinated beverages in different parts of Cebu.
Most of these local businesses operate online, selling packed ground coffee beans and specialty drinks to coffee lovers alike.
A few even offer services like cafe bars and lessons on how to start a coffee business. These companies may be young, but they are slowly making their mark in the local coffee industry.
ESPRESSO SESSIONS EXHIBITORS
- Screaming Barista
- Deja Brew
- Y? Cafe
- Kho. P
- Kofe
- MC Cakes and Cafe
- Brewberry Bunch
- Picabean
Screaming Barista operates their business in Mandaue City. Reviews on their website rave about their specialty coffee called Screamer. This drink consists of three shots of espresso, milk, vanilla syrup, and chocolate.
They also offer coffee bar services, where baristas brew coffee for customers during special events.
Kho. P is another small-scale business that aims to make coffee more accessible to Filipinos. Their business model started out with the use of push carts.
The baristas brew their drinks using the pour over method, which does not require huge espresso machines to make their signature beverages. They also offer training workshops on how to start a coffee business, providing lessons for startups and aspiring baristas.
Y? Cafe and Kofe served their signature white brew coffee at the event. The former opened a physical store on the roof deck at APM Centrale in the North Reclamation Area.
Deja Brew sold bags of ground coffee beans with drip bags so customers could brew their coffee without having to use a coffee maker.
Picabean is a coffee shop in the mall that offers drinks brewed from beans grown in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in Luzon. They sell coffee beans from different towns and provinces within CAR, freshly grounded at their stall.
MC Cakes and Cafe sold several tubs of different cakes and other sweet desserts. They also offer several types of coffee, from espresso drinks to lattes. The cafe also has cold brew drinks served in large bottles.
Brewberry Bunch was awarded the Most Outstanding Premium Coffee & Tea Blends from the Asian Sterling Awards Seals of Excellence. This local cafe from Minglanilla uses coffee beans from Baguio.
You can also buy their brewed coffee in small jars, which they call “Sal Shots.”
The event’s workshops taught coffee painting and latte art for beginners.
WORKSHOPS
The coffee festival provided workshops on coffee painting and how to do latte art. Renowned artists were invited to teach guests and mall goers who were present at the event.
The Coffee Painting Workshop featured digital artist and coffee painter Zar on Canvas, where he teaches this unique art form with the use of coffee grains and water.
Zar discussed how to estimate the brightness and darkness of the paint depending on the amount of water used. The final assignment was to paint an entire artwork created by Zar using the coffee mixture.
Joseph Patrick Bignay, a coffee roaster from the Good Cup Coffee Company who participated in many barista competitions worldwide, also attended the event for a workshop on latte art.
Guests were taught how to create basic shapes that are used in latte art, such as the rosetta, tulip, and the heart. This exceptional art style uses milk and cream in a shot of espresso to create fancy designs on top.
Coffee painters like Reese Jumawan also showcased their artwork and sold it to guests at the event.
The coffee festival ended with the Best Barista Competition, where each barista served three types of drinks – their version of espresso, latte, and their very own signature drink.
There are a number of lesser-known players in the coffee industry in Cebu alone, and they all hope to gain an audience for their unique brand of coffee.
Espresso Sessions showcases these small-scale businesses, where coffee enthusiasts can witness how the beloved beverage has inspired various individuals to start a coffee business of their own.
The coffee festival serves as a breeding ground for future coffee businesses and aspiring artists in Cebu. With that, we might see a lot more coffee enthusiasts and related events soon.
