What Is Third-Wave Coffee?

A term you’ve heard often in the coffee world lately: third-wave coffee. What does it mean? In short, an approach that sees coffee not as a cheap commodity but — like wine — as a craft product whose origin, producer, and character matter.

The three generations, briefly:

• First generation: coffee becomes mass-market, with accessibility at the forefront.
• Second generation: chain cafés and the “coffee experience” spread.
• Third generation: where the bean’s origin, how it’s processed, roasted, and brewed all matter — a period focused on transparency and quality.

At a third-wave café, coffee isn’t just “caffeine”; it’s the product of a specific region, a specific producer, and a specific roast profile. Tasting notes are labeled, the brewing method is chosen with care, bean freshness matters.

That is our approach. Alongside Ethiopia, we prepare Colombia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Brazil Santos with methods suited to their character, because coffee offers far more than one flavour profile.