A little more than a decade ago, I tasted my first espresso. After having already been a barista and coffee roaster for about eight years, yes, I tasted it—for real—for the first time. It was heavenly, and all at once I became confused, forlorn and strangely hopeful. Why didn’t I know about this before? Who else knew about this? Where were they and how could I talk with them? Is this crazy? Did anyone really expect this level of espresso to become the standard?

And then the daydreaming beganÉ In my perfect world, there would be a way to get this kind of coffee every single day. There would be more than a mere handful of professionals able to produce this coffee, and I would know many of them by name. I could conceivably walk into a shop halfway around the world and know the barista, the roaster and even the components of the blend! And we could travel to coffee producing regions and meet up with each other. Baristas would know everything they need to know about coffee! Baristas would be asked for their opinions and recommendations!

Little did I know that the wheels had already been set into motion toward realizing this dream. My personal espresso rebirth was just one sign of great things to come. Perhaps it doesn’t seem like such a farfetched idea to a third waver, but for me (as someone whose entrance into coffee was decidedly second wave), the contemporary coffee world is literally a dream come true.

And we’ll call it the third wave . . .

About three years ago, I wrote about what I was experiencing in an article for the Roasters Guild Flamekeeper newsletter. The idea was based on three movements in specialty coffee: first, second and third wave to be specific. These waves are just another way to describe the viewpoints that stand behind coffee consumption and preparation, as we know it. And while I decided to actually put terms to it with the whole wave thing, it seemed there was already some agreement out there about the emergence of a fresh thought process in coffee.

“The first wave is all about consumption,” says Nick Cho, owner of two Washington, D.C.-based coffeehouses called murky coffee and of Portafilter.net podcast fame. “The second wave is about enjoyment and defining specialty, and the third allows the coffee to speak for itself. The third wave appreciates each coffee for what it truly is and takes whatever necessary steps to highlight the amazing, unique character in every coffee.” Without having read the original article, Cho made these observations naturally. He has been living this for the past three years, ever since his espresso bars in the Mid-Atlantic region opened for business. It’s fitting that espresso has been the fuel of choice for the third wave.

Espresso is fussy and impossible. The machines used to produce it are expensive and intricate contraptions. We seldom achieve espresso coffee in its perfect form. It defies convention and replication, and what could be more innovative than that? Espresso is inherently about discovery. The third wave stops at nothing to discoverÉand askÉand discussÉand challenge. But how did Cho, and others like him, get so comfortable in their third wave skins?

In recent years, specialty coffee has developed into one gigantic thinktank, it seems. Pretty much anyone who has an opinion or an idea is welcomed at the table. Groups, forums and programs have emerged that support this new climate. Perhaps these systems of communication and information have developed as a by-product of the quest for coffee nirvana. Either way, the third wave is all-inclusive and growing.

There will be regular exchanges of knowledge and meetings devoted to coffee . . .

The third wave is, in many ways, a reaction. It is just as much a reply to bad coffee as it is a movement toward good coffee. Both the Specialty Coffee Association of America-operated Roasters Guild (RG) and the Barista Guild of America (BGA) can, in part, credit bad practices for their existences. Since its inception, the Roasters Guild has been the coffee connoisseur’s club for the industry. Members check their business cards at the door (figuratively speaking) as they meet annually at the famous Roasters Guild Retreat, an event based on the exchange of coffee knowledge and camaraderie.

The RG grew quickly after it was established in 2000, and now boasts more than 400 members worldwide. Recognition for the roasting profession came almost overnight with the advent of the RG. Members have spearheaded projects such as the Roasters Code of Conduct, which all members must sign, as well as the Roasters Accreditation Program, which aims to certify a roaster’s knowledge and expertise. These are arguably the two most important legacies the RG can offer the coffee world, and it seems clear they were developed in answer to problems that plague a rapidly growing sector.

But where the Roasters Guild might have things to fight against, the Barista Guild of America seems more about fighting for something. Established in 2003, the BGA was initially designed to secure a voice within the upper echelons of the specialty coffee industry for the barista profession. While this has been slow in coming to fruition, it has progressed thanks to the Guild and its third wave proponents. Another of their core objectives was to activate baristas on the local level with peer exchanges or “jams.” This also was slow in its beginning, but has since picked up the pace with at least five of 10 United States regions hosting BGA Jams for members and the barista community at large.

And what about the World Barista Championship (WBC) and the national competitions that feed into it? What have they contributed to the third wave? They have functioned, globally and locally, as a kind of default clubhouse for baristas and organizers. Through regular meetings during competition season, coffee people are able to socialize, showcase styles and theories, and discuss coffee trends. The champions of these events go on to become clear and respected voices in a sometimes lonesome pursuit for excellence. Without really realizing its own impact, the WBC has become the first organization to set brewing standards that are regularly tested and challenged on the world stage. The beverage tested is espresso, a drink that is remarkably classical, avant-garde, understood, misunderstood, and universal in its scope.

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