coffee culture – Jellybeans in the City

The holiday season is a whirlwind of activity – a hectic dance of shopping for gifts, preparing festive feasts, and organizing family gatherings. For moms, the month of October can be especially demanding as we juggle the demands of everyday life with the added pressure of holiday preparations. Amidst the chaos, a moment to pause and recharge is invaluable. Fortunately, there is a delightful treat that can infuse new energy into our holiday errands, and we don’t even have to go far from our shopping grounds, as Bo’s Coffee opened its first-ever branch at the SM Store in Araneta City.

Bo’s Coffee: A Blend of Culture and Coffee

Bo’s Coffee is more than just a coffeehouse chain; it’s a celebration of Philippine coffee and culture built on its promise of being “your homegrown brew.” Established in 1996 by founder Steve Benitez in Cebu City, this coffee haven is deeply rooted in Filipino tradition and the love for local coffee beans.

The name ‘Bo’ is inspired by an Italian-American roaster named Bo, whom Steve met during his early coffee exploration. Bo’s Coffee proudly sources coffee beans from various regions in the Philippines, including Sagada, Mountain Province, Mount Kitanglad in Bukidnon, Mount Matutum in Tupi, South Cotabato, and Mount Apo.

Notably, Bo’s Coffee takes pride in collaborating with local brands, embodying a Bayanihan Mentality by giving a voice to social enterprises and leaving a legacy of positive change within communities.

First Branch in SM Store

Bo’s Coffee at the SM Store in Araneta City offers a unique experience, thanks to its convenient location within the department store. It’s a cozy nook where weary shoppers, including busy moms and even dads waiting for their family members, can take a break and rejuvenate.

As a special treat for SM Store shoppers, presenting the receipt stub with Bo’s Coffee promo offer and using the SM Advantage Card unlocks the Brews & Chews Bundle – a delightful pairing of Hot or Iced Caffe Americano and any Craft Cookie for just Php149.

Various Snacking Options

The Brews & Chews Bundle isn’t the only tempting option available. Bo’s Coffee offers a variety of delightful snacks, each carefully crafted to cater to different tastes.

For those craving a touch of sweetness, the White Chocolate Mocha is a perfect choice, encapsulating the flavors of the season in a cup.

If you’re looking for something more indulgent, the Chocolate Waffle is a must-try, boasting a decadent flavor profile that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.

For those on the move, the Bagel and Cream Cheese option provides a quick yet satisfying snack to keep you going through your shopping spree.

When the holiday chaos feels overwhelming, a cup of coffee and a delicious treat can be just the remedy you need to recharge and face the hustle and bustle with renewed energy.

Bo’s Coffee at the SM Store in Araneta City welcomes all busy moms and shoppers to savor these delightful offerings and take a moment to relax amidst the whirlwind of holiday errands.

Discover more about Bo’s Coffee and stay updated on its latest offerings by visiting their website and following it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Disclosure: Menu items were served at no charge in exchange for honest feedback and to facilitate this feature story.

Fancy yourself a coffee connoisseur?

Well, you will be amazed at what more you can discover and learn about your favorite brews at the UCC Coffee Academy.

Located at Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City, the academy culls eighty-five years of UCC Japan’s coffee expertise, from crop cultivation, procurement, research and development to roasting and processing, creating a coffee culture and serving the precious cuppas to coffee lovers.

Key to imparting these coffee knowledge is its use of an interactive Japanese method. Aside from lectures and presentations from knowledgeable instructors on various areas of coffee production, preparation and appreciation, students also benefit from hands-on learning experience. Here, students can expect to learn to learn to value the quality of a good coffee bean, from where, by whom and how it is sourced, how it is prepared and served to bring out its best qualities, and how those qualities are evaluated and ranked by coffee experts worldwide.

Together with my fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH, I went through an extremely condensed crash course on Coffeeology: Coffee Fundamentals from Farm to Cup at the academy.

UCC Coffee Academy Head Instructor Robert Francisco took our group on a journey of coffee discovery. Having authored the book A Coffee Journal as an effort to support local farmers, he holds the local coffee industry very close to his heart.

Assisted by another UCC Coffee Academy instructor Joems Lichangco, Instructor Francisco gave our group a customized coffee preparation and appreciation workshop which includes brewing at home, tasting and – my favorite – latte art.

Here are some tips I picked up along the way:

Coffee Brewing.

The ratio of coffee to water is important for product consistency: use 20 grams of coffee to 300 grams of 92 to 93 deg C water.

Always pre-heat your equipment – drippers, filters and catchers – by slowly pouring a bit of hot water on them. Washing the paper filter, in particular, removes any papery or bleachy taste that can mar the flavor of the coffee.

Pour the first 40 grams of water on the ground coffee to let it “bloom.” The hot water allows the gas from inside the ground coffee beans to escape and the flavor to be extracted. This process is called blooming because the ground coffee seems to bloom or expand with the water it absorbs. After twenty seconds, you can already pour the rest of the water.

Coffee Tasting.

Freshly brewed unsweetened coffee may taste sour because coffee actually is acidic but not strong enough to curdle milk nor bring about acid reflux. What triggers acid reflux is the caffeine. Here’s a tip: eat something buttery like cake to line the stomach walls before drinking coffee to weaken the acid reflux.

Coffee has various aspects for consideration during coffee tasting. These include aroma (how it smells), flavor (how it tastes), body (how it feels in your mouth), finish (its aftertaste) and roast (whether the beans are lightly or darkly toasted). To draw out these aspects, here’s how to taste your coffee:

Step 1: Smell your coffee.

Breathe in your coffee’s fragrance. Much of the nuances of coffee’s flavor are contributed by its aroma.

Step 2: Slurp your coffee. Slurping allows more of the coffee to cover different areas of your tongue letting you identify more flavors.

Latte Art.

Latte art is made with steamed milk poured into coffee with variations in the speed and height of pouring.

It is important not to heat the milk to the point of being frothy. Otherwise, you will lose the silkiness of the milk that makes good latte art.

Whether you’re a foodie who wants to explore more about coffee, a barista-in-the-making or an entrepreneur looking to enter the coffee business, you can discover everything you need to learn at UCC Coffee Academy.

UCC Coffee Academy is located at 3rd Floor, Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For more details or to get a listing of the courses available, visit its webpage or call +63 966 531 1843.

Tag: coffee culture

Become a coffee expert at UCC Coffee Academy