The art and rituals of coffee

Coffee is one of the most exciting and complex products in the world, with a history as deep and rich as the brew itself. As a postcolonial product, it is relatively young compared to wine and spirits. Co-founder of progressive coffee business, Coffee Collective, Klaus Thomsen believes that we are just scratching the surface of understanding the bean as an agricultural product and how the way it is grown, handled and produced affects its quality and flavour as a brew.

"What I love about coffee as a beverage is the responsibility that the consumer has in getting the last step of getting the most flavour out of the experience,“ he says. “There are many rituals around making and consuming coffee and these put the ability to create something completely different at the end into the hands of those who make and drink it."

"Right now, there is a trend for cold coffee op-tions: both with cold brews and hot brews that are then chilled for a different, less bitter cold drinking experience. At Coffee Collective, they use nitrogen to make nitro-cooled coffee that looks a little like Guinness." These experimental coffee drinks are fun to try when handcrafted in coffee shops, but here Klaus gives us the low-down on how to make the best coffee at home.