Summer school sucks. You have to spend all day inside studying math or science or whatever it is the librul media says is “important” to “learn”. But what if instead the subject matter was coffee? That could maybe provide some edutainment in between all those times spent cutting class to go smoke heaters under the bleachers (which is the main reason you’re in summer school to begin with).
Well, if that sounds like a reasonable alternative—or if you just one of those weirdos that likes to learn things—then Bellingham, Washington’s Camber Coffee has just the curriculum for you. Completely digital, Camber’s Summer School series has a coffee class for just about every interest.
It’s hard out there for roasters. Even if you’re lucky enough to have your own cafe and the steady influx of coffee sales it provides, you’re no doubt seeing less poundage going to your flagship, and the bread and butter of your business, your wholesale clients, are in no better shape themselves. This has left many, like Camber, looking beyond the three-dimensional cafe space for other, more two-dimensional avenues, like the internet. Going digital doesn’t mean just online coffee sales but finding new ways to reimagine community engagement events like coffee courses. Thus arose the idea of Summer School (because all school is probably going to be online for a while anyway).
With two already in the books, Summer School is an a la carte coffee education series that takes place via Zoom call. Taking place roughly every month, Camber’s course roster has included subjects like an Intro to Cupping using the SCA’s cupping form and an Origin Identification class, and for the July installation—taking place Sunday the 26th at 10:00am PST—Camber is turning their attention from palate development and going deep on the science of brewing iced coffee. The hour-long course (tickets are available now for $15 via the Camber website) will walk attendees through some of the company’s favorite flash ice brew methods, specifically those that involve Chemex and AeroPress brewing.
Looking forward, Camber’s next Summer School sessions include a Crash Course in Home Espresso at the end of August as well as an interview on Instagram Live with Swiss Water’s Mike Stumpf, and then in Semptember, the focus will shift to origin, with interviews with producers Maria Pacas and Benjamin Paz of Café Pacas in El Salvador and Beneficio San Vicente in Honduras, respectively. Exact dates and times for the class in August and beyond will be made available on Camber’s website and Instagram once they have been officially set.
But in the meantime, there’s still time to sign up for the Iced Coffee course and get it down cold. For more information or to register to attend, visit Camber Coffee’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Disclosure: Camber Coffee is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network
Top image © Adobe Stock/Ardea-studio
