ORANGE COUNTY—Welcome to the world of coffee cupping, where coffee enthusiasts alike gather around a table, take noisy slurps, and ponder on the bitterness and sweetness of each brew.
Cupping is how people in the coffee industry evaluate the quality of different beans and roasts. Similar to a wine tasting, tasters slurp and spray the coffee around in their mouths so the liquid hits every part of the palate. Because of rising craft coffee culture and general consumer interest, many coffee shops, like DayDream Surfshop in Costa Mesa, invite enthusiasts to get a taste of the action as well.
DayDream holds free coffee cuppings the third Saturday of every month hosted by the beverage director Jason Ferrall and other members of the DayDream crew. November's cupping served specialty roasts from all around the world—Santa Cruz’s Cat and Cloud Coffee, Arkansas’ ONYX Coffee Lab, Brooklyn’s Sey Coffee, and Berlin’s The Barn Coffee Roasters.
Ferrall has years of coffee tasting experience and was a part of Cat and Cloud’s founding crew. He said he likes to host cuppings because it brings people into the shop and is a fun way to share their menu.
“Cuppings can sometimes feel really exclusive and off-putting for people people who don’t know about coffee cuppings already,” Ferrall said. “I wanted to make it as approachable as possible so that people who would never go to a cupping, or for people who sometimes feel out of place at one, can come here and feel at home doing it.”
Lynn Nguyen, a local coffee lover from Orange, has been to multiple coffee cuppings, but never one hosted by DayDream. As soon as she saw the post, she put it in her calendar and cleared her schedule. Nguyen said her favorite roast out of them all was The Barn’s Himalaya Maragogype because of the strong flavor, lack of bitterness, and its overall smoothness.
“I really like the ambiance at the shop, it feels like I am relaxing in my living room when I eat and drink here,” Nguyen said. “Everyone is very nice and social and that is what sets this coffee shop apart from the rest.”
Hannah Pettis, a manager at Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa, said she and her friends have been going to DayDream since it opened back in 2016. Although she couldn’t attend this month’s cupping, she said she is looking forward to the next one after the holiday season.
“I honestly just love the fact that DayDream is more lowkey compared to other coffee shops in OC,” Pettis said. “It is never overwhelming and always has chill vibes, which makes it a perfect place to hold a cupping.”
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