COFFEE SENSEI IS IN TOWN

Falah Faisal | NT Bengaluru

They don’t call our coffee mentor, Sherri Johns, the Cappuccino Queen for nothing. The Portland-based coffee specialist is the Head Judge of Gems of Araku, the annual harvest festival and coffee competition organized by Naandi Foundation in Araku, Andhra Pradesh. She is also our coffee mentor at ARAKU, training baristas and guiding new releases.

 An Authorized SCA Trainer, accredited by the prestigious Specialty Coffee Association, Sherri conducts SCA certificate programs at ARAKU World Specialty Coffee Academy, Bangalore. She helped set up India’s first Specialty Coffee Association Premier Training Campus as well as ARAKU’s very first 6,000 sq ft flagship in Bangalore. She talks to us about coffee and more.

What makes a perfect cup of co­ffee?

It starts with the quality of water, because each cup of coffee is 98.9% water. It continues on with freshly roasted, high-quality coffee beans, ideally ground just before brewing, and depending on the method of brewing, it is a ratio of 1:10 coffee that’s in a preheated coffee mug. It’s not difficult to brew a great cup of coffee when you have high-quality ingredient

What is your opinion of Indian filter co­ffee?

It has a different feel to it, for sure. Wherever I am traveling I always try to get the local coffee. Filter coffee has been the mainstay of the coffee world in India. What we’re aiming for with Araku is to present more of an international specialized coffee to the local market

What is part of the training programme?

The Coffee Skills Programme at AWSCA consists of three different modules: Introduction to Coffee for beginners and coffee enthusiasts, and specialized courses such as Barista Skills and Sensory Skills in three different levels: foundation, intermediate, and professional. The courses range from 1 - 5 days with an opportunity for practical and written online exams to receive SCA certification. It is a new profession but there are opportunities in specialty coffee and we’d like to help people achieve their goals at that

I believe a good barista is also a good therapist. Tell us more about how Araku’s baristas are trained and the role of co­ffee shops as a place where ideas are exchanged?

Back in the middle ages, coffee shops were illegal in Europe because that’s where people would come together to discuss politics and share ideas. So I say we aren’t just in the coffee business, we are in the people business. You could be having a terrible day and you could turn it around with a good cup of coffee and a smile. At Araku we don’t have large counters and big machines. You can see the barista, interact with them, and tell them exactly how you’d like your coffee to be made.

What co­ffee would you serve someone who is lactose intolerant?

I’d first ask if you’d like something hot or cold and whether you prefer sweet or bitter. If you’re a traditional person who would like a ccappuccino, I’d serve it with oat milk. It is all about balance, and here at Araku we have this once called Cafe L’orange, which is a cold brew coffee sweetened with orange extract and sparkling water which is a must have..”