Walk into any specialty coffee roastery in the world and you will find a table lined with small bowls of freshly ground coffee, a row of spoons, and people slurping loudly. This is coffee cupping -- the universal language of the coffee industry. And at BRU in Basel, we are opening this world to you, completely free of charge.
What Is Coffee Cupping?
Cupping is the standardized method professionals use to evaluate coffee. Unlike brewing a cup at home, cupping strips away all variables -- grinder settings, filter types, brew ratios -- and focuses purely on what is in the bean. Ground coffee steeps directly in hot water in a small bowl. You break the crust, skim the surface, and taste with a spoon. That is it. Simple, repeatable, and remarkably revealing.
The method was developed to give buyers, roasters, and farmers a common framework for describing flavor. When a roaster in Basel and a farmer in Ethiopia both cup the same lot, they can agree on what they taste -- because the protocol is identical everywhere. It is how every specialty coffee earns its score.
How Cupping Differs from Regular Coffee Tasting
When you drink your morning coffee, you experience a single brew with all its variables baked in. Cupping is different in three important ways:
- Blind comparison: Multiple coffees sit side by side. You taste them without knowing the origin, forcing your palate to do the work rather than your expectations.
- Standardized preparation: Every bowl uses the same ratio (8.25 g per 150 ml), the same water temperature (93 degrees C), and the same steep time (4 minutes). This removes brewer influence entirely.
- Systematic scoring: Each coffee is scored across categories like fragrance, acidity, body, sweetness, balance, and aftertaste. You are not just deciding whether you "like" a coffee -- you are mapping its character.
As the coffee cools from hot to room temperature, different flavors emerge at different stages. A coffee that is bright and citrusy when hot may turn chocolatey and sweet as it approaches room temperature. This is why professional cupping always involves tasting at multiple temperatures -- and why the experience is so much richer than a single sip from your morning mug.
Want the full technical protocol? Our complete guide to cupping coffee like a pro covers the SCA scoring form, all 11 evaluation attributes, calibration exercises, and how to set up a cupping table at home.
Free Cupping Sessions at BRU
Our Coffee Cupping and Sensory sessions are guided experiences designed for anyone curious about coffee -- no prior knowledge required. Here is what a typical session covers:
- Tasting technique: How to slurp (yes, loudly), how to aerate coffee across your palate, and how to move beyond "strong" or "mild."
- Blind tasting: Four to six coffees arranged in numbered bowls with no labels. You taste, score, and discuss -- then we reveal the origins.
- Flavor discovery: Taste how geography, altitude, and processing methods shape the cup. A washed Ethiopian next to a natural Brazilian tells the story better than any textbook.
- Group discussion: Comparing notes with fellow tasters is where the real learning happens. Hearing how others describe the same coffee expands your own vocabulary.
Sessions run monthly on Saturday mornings at BRU in Basel. Group sizes are kept small -- usually eight to twelve people -- so everyone gets hands-on time at the table. The whole experience takes about 90 minutes, and you leave with a calibrated palate and a new way of thinking about every cup you drink.
Why We Offer This for Free
We believe coffee education should not have a price barrier. Cupping is not an elite skill -- it is a sensory exercise that anyone can learn, and it fundamentally changes how you experience coffee. When people understand what makes a coffee special, the entire local coffee culture benefits. Our free sessions are our way of giving back to Basel.
Continue Your Coffee Education
Cupping is the foundation, but it is just the beginning. Once you have trained your palate, here is where to go next:
- Master the full protocol: Our complete guide to cupping coffee like a pro covers advanced techniques, the full SCA scoring form, and how to practice at home.
- Understand specialty coffee: Learn about SCA scores, traceability, and what separates specialty from commercial coffee.
- Recognize quality: Our guide to recognizing high-quality specialty coffee teaches professional markers of excellence.
- Brew better at home: Apply your cupping insights with our V60 pour-over recipe.
- Take a course: Our coffee courses and workshops offer structured training from home brewing to professional barista skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need any coffee experience to attend?
Not at all. Our sessions are designed for complete beginners. If you drink coffee -- even instant coffee -- you have enough experience. We start from scratch and guide you through every step.
How long does a session last?
Plan for about 90 minutes. The cupping itself takes around 45 minutes, and the discussion and questions that follow are just as valuable.
What if I cannot taste the differences between coffees?
This is more common than you think -- and completely normal for a first session. Your palate needs calibration, just like any skill. Most people start to notice clear differences by the second or third coffee. By the end of the session, we have never had anyone who could not tell at least two coffees apart.
Book Your Spot
No experience necessary. Just bring curiosity and an open palate. We supply the coffee, the spoons, and the loud slurping encouragement.
Written by Felipe Fernandez, co-founder of BRU Specialty Coffee in Basel.