TECHNIQUE TRAINING A scene from one of last years Invermere Coffee Fest workshops. This years workshops have limited space so sign up soon. File photo />
The perks of savouring coffee can be adapted to suit baristas, espresso aficionados and social coffee connoisseurs, and the third annual Invermere Coffee Fest will provide a backdrop for individuals who are heavily dependent on coffee culture and tea to network and socialize between Friday, March 4th to Sunday, March 6th.
It got started because we were looking for an event that we could hold in the shoulder season that can be (held) indoors, said Theresa Wood, Invermere Coffee Fest event organizer. Everybody loves coffee, so we started this event.
The three-day festival begins on March 4th with opportunities for participants to take in six workshops (Kicking Horses Bean There, Packed That and Bean There, Packed That 2.0; Monogram Brewing Academys Brewing Basics; The Naked Leafs Tea and Chocolate Pairing workshop; and Tea 101; as well as a film night featuring two unique documentaries about the coffee industry) to learn about tea or coffee through a wide variety of approaches.
The film night includes the screening of the A Film About Coffee documentary, which explores the many processes that bring specialty coffee to the table, and the eccentric and talented people who serve it to coffee enthusiasts. In addition, A Small Section of the World: Sometimes Big Things Come From Small Places will also be shown at the film night.
On Saturday, March 5th, Kicking Horse Coffee will be teaching workshop participants how to identify different roasts and flavours at the Cupping workshop. Also on Saturday, there will be a free-entry Coffee and Tea Expo held at Copper Point Resort between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to offer visitors informational materials and samples from specialty coffee roasters, fine tea purveyors and product wholesalers. The Kootenay AeroPress Championship (featured in an article in the February 12th Pioneer) will also bring a coffee competition to the grounds.
Ms. Wood said the decision to make the regional coffee competition known as the Kootenay AeroPress Championship, which will be sponsored by Eight Ounce Coffee Supply and Kicking Horse Coffee a new aspect of the expo between 1 and 4 p.m. was based in wanting to make the event more accessible to the Columbia Valley.
I went to the national competition last year in Calgary and it was super fun, so I thought we could host a regional playdown here, said Ms. Wood. AreoPress is a pretty new method of making coffee, but its really easy and simple, and it makes a great cup.
The weekend will wrap up with two events: The Kick Ass Wetlands Walk led by Kicking Horse Coffee representative Tom Hoyne between 10 a.m. and noon as well as The Stolen Church Roasting Workshop at Gerrys Gelati between 1 and 2 p.m.
The proceeds from the walk are going to the Westside Legacy Trail, added Ms. Wood about the Kick Ass Wetlands Walk. For more details or to register for workshops online, visit www.InvermereCoffeeFest.com. Register early because space is limited.
