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Also responding in the aftermath of the executive order has been the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), the recently combined entity that envelopes the Specialty Coffee Associations of Europe and Amer- ica. The organization issued a statement expressing concern for the impact the executive order could have on its members—especially any members from the seven impacted countries who may have hoped to attend SCA's April event, the Global Specialty Coffee Expo, in Seattle. The statement emphasized SCA's willingness to provide invitations and visa letters for the show to community members whose countries require them—an action the organization has long provided, but which might be in more immediate demand in the wake of the order. In February, almost two weeks after SCA's initial statement, SCA executive director Ric Rhinehart told Barista Magazine he has been humbled and proud of how the specialty-coffee industry has rallied together in the wake of the executive order. "I'm profoundly grateful to have these small sparks of optimism coming up all around us," he says. "I think all of us could desperately use some more optimism, and this is one of those things that restores my faith in the decency of people—and very specifi cally the decency of coffee people. I couldn't be more proud of the people in our industry for this." For more examples of specialty-coffee companies' efforts to pro- mote inclusivity in the wake of the executive order, visit Barista Mag- azine Online at www.baristamagazine.com to read the story "Specialty Coffee World Unites against Immigration Executive Order." —Chris Ryan BARISTA TURNED PRODUCT DEVELOPER JOSH TAVES MAKES A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION COFFEE BREWED FOR CUPPING has a specifi c purpose: It's meant to delicately expose that coffee's specifi c aromas and fl avors for evaluation. You cup it—you don't drink it. Josh Taves found this frustrating. As a barista and educator in Minneapolis in 2013, Josh looked forward to daily cuppings with his co- workers and guests, and, he says, "Every once in a while, I would come across a coffee on the cupping table that tasted amazing, and I would be disappointed because I knew that I would never have that experience again once the coffee left the cupping table." Wouldn't it be amazing, he thought, to be able to experience a coffee brewed for consumption that tasted as it did on the cupping table? He hardly thought twice before setting out to build a con- traption capable of doing just that. "I couldn't see why those unique fl avors of the cupping process should be left on the table and not shared with others," Josh says. Prototype in hand, Josh headed to a Barista Nation event in Denver, in the summer of 2014. The theme of the event was start-ups, and one exercise—an idea throwdown—called for business presentations to be evaluated by a panel of judges for a cash prize. Calling his model cupping brewer the Kong, Josh delivered an organized plan complete with vision for bringing it to life as a mass-produced device for the specialty-coffee industry. He won fi rst prize—and that set the wheels in motion. "Having the pleasure of knowing Josh for many years as a baris- ta competitor, it was via Barista Magazine's highlight of the idea throwdown held at Barista Nation Denver that sparked the interest in engaging Josh," says Espresso Supply's Marcus Boni, referring to an article about the event in the October + November 2014 issue. Josh began work with Rob Bangerter, Espresso Supply's VP of product development, and the newly renamed Rattleware Cupping Brewer was born. "The team at Espresso Supply has been amazing to work with," says Josh, who today is an educator at Novo Coffee in Denver, and will compete in the United States Barista Championship in Seattle in April. "Their expertise and professionalism in navigating the process of bringing a new product to market is remarkable. They have looked out for my interests throughout this entire process, which is not some- thing I ever expected when jumping into the 'inventor' game. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, and the Cupping Brewer would not exist without them." Marcus says the experience with Josh and the Rattleware Cupping Brewer was so positive that it has inspired an initiative at Espres- so Supply: "to connect the innovative minds of the specialty-coffee barista community with our ability to fully commercialize and produce products that are highly relevant to the marketplace," says Marcus. Espresso Supply understands the importance of listening to the voices in the specialty-coffee community, and looks forward to the opportunity to connect with other product developers who might be tinkering with something in their spare time. The experience they had with Josh, however, was a particularly special one, Marcus says: "It's been such a pleasure to work so closely with Josh, particularly due to his vanguard position as an advocate for educating consumers about specialty coffee and bringing our world closer to them." —Sarah Allen PHOTO BY ALLYSSA SNOW TAVES 23 www.baristamagazine.com