Culinary & Nutrition   

Just how does coffee make it from a “coffee cherry” on a farm somewhere near the equator to your cup here in Michigan? We’ll walk through the steps of coffee’s journey from farm to cup and discuss what transformations the bean goes through in order to create the type of coffee you crave in the morning. In the last part of the session, we’ll imbibe in different coffees brewed two different ways and see if we can discern how brew methods change a coffee's flavor.

What does a goatherd, thieves, or Cold War economy have in common with the coffee you’ll be drinking at this session? Show up and find out! This session will present some major historical themes of coffee from, circa 1300 to the present. It will focus on the origins of coffee to some of the major trends making coffee the beverage of choice in many parts of the world, including the United States. Throughout this session, we will mark timelines with samples of coffee that highlight that period. These coffees may include selections from Ethiopia, Yemen, Indonesia, Haiti, Brazil and Vietnam.

Spend the day with the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Brewing faculty. In this introductory course, participants will receive an introduction to the creative world of making beer, tailored to their personal experience. Participants will learn the fundamental principles and practical skills needed to brew beer at home.  Learning objectives include introductory terminology, ingredients, brewing process, and tasting profiles.  This session is 21+ only. Attendees must bring their own personal protective equipment (PPE) of long pants, closed-toe shoes, and a hat. Lunch and safety glasses will be provided.

Buying coffee at a local grocery store has become the norm for many of us on a budget. However, there are drastic differences in quality, taste, and price in the coffee aisle. This class will discuss what factors to consider when buying coffee in a grocery store, from labels to price points to sourcing to grind. We will also brew, sample, and discuss three coffees that have price points of $10-$15 per bag.