Jeff Green | Apr 13, 2006
Feature Article - April 13, 2006

Back toHome
Feature Article - April 13, 2006"Cupping" comes toSydenham
by Wilma Kenny
Last Saturday, 18 happy coffee lovers sampled 10 different coffees while Gary Dickenson of Hillside Coffee in Sydenham explained their origins and discussed the nuances of roasting. He compared Aribica and Robusta types, and explained the differences between city roast and French roast, drum roasting and air flow roasting. (I was intrigued to find out that a west coast friend who has been roasting his own coffee in his hot air popcorn popper is definitely on the right track.)
We passed around samples of green coffee beans, and learned tantalizing bits of the strange history of coffee’s spread around the world from Ethiopia where it was discovered over 2000 years ago. It has been both banned and blessed, and frequently smuggled; a French governor’s wife hid several small rooted slips in a farewell bouquet for her lover, who carried them to Porto Rico where he began the coffee plantations of the New World .
Hillside Coffee stocks 25 different types of coffee, which they roast on the premises and will blend to the customer’s taste. Most, if not all are fair trade, and many are organic.
Gayle Dickenson says the success of this coffee cupping means they will be holding another in May, and are considering a similar session for tea lovers.
And that’s not all: there’s live music every Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at Hillside , and they’re planning to hold an outdoor Celtic festival in June. Hillside Coffee 376-6823.
Other Stories this Week View RSS feedMore Stories
- Left Side of Point Beach Closed to Swimmers - Geese Related?
- SouthEast Ontario 20 Fastball Team Hosts Czech U16 Team in Sydenham
- South Frontenac Responds Over Line Spike Accusations : Jeremy Campbell Says He'll Sue
- Women Build Community Paddilng Together
- Friends of Arden Tell The Arden Story
- The Redmond Family Takes Over Sydenham Pet and Farm Supply
- Return Of Gravel Point o-op Plan rekindles Neighbours' Concerns
- Dog Days of Summer At Frontenac Farmers Market
- Lakes and Trails Features A Packed Schedule
- Rural Recruitment Made Easier With Support From Keys