Posted on January 15, 2002 - by deCadmus

Slurp. Swish. Spit.

Not very attractive, is it? And certainly not the romantic stuff that much of the business of coffee is built on. Still, slurping, swishing and spitting — better known as cupping — is the foundation of professional coffee tasters the world over. Armed with silver spoons, twirling tables and the ever-present spittoon, cuppers have employed the technique for more than a hundred years.

Maybe it’s time for a new coffee tasting ritual. One that’s in-tune with enjoying coffee — savoring it — rather than hunting for defects. A humble suggestion or two can be found in articles.