Just a few days after Costa Rica celebrated National Coffee Day, Banco Nacional and various organizations dedicated to advancing the interests of this valuable commodity are holding a special fair and expo at the Antigua Aduana (Old Customs Building) in San Jose until 6:00 pm on Sunday, September 21^st. Doors open at 9:00 in the morning, and 100 small businesses dedicated to cultivation, roasting, distribution, and promotion of gourmet coffee will be on hand to welcome expo attendees.

 

Admission to this expo is free, and the entire family is welcome. Those who bring children will be happy to know that event organizers have special activities planned for them. Everyone is invited to taste the best gourmet roasts that small coffee producers have to offer. We are talking about Grano de Oro (Golden Coffee Bean) award recipients. These are not the cheap, yet surprisingly decent, supermarket brands that you can find priced at $1 for 200 grams; only the best, and often most expensive, beans in Costa Rica will be available for tasting.

 

Everyone knows that coffee tasting requires delicious free food to fine-tune the palate, and the coffee expo organizers also have this covered. Other activities will include introductory barista workshops, coffee cupping (tasting) lessons, professional barista challenges, tips on how to roast your own coffee at home, and special lectures about the gourmet coffee business for potential participants and investors. Some of the exhibitors got their start at a coffee fair just like this one last year, so you should definitely attend if this lucrative industry interests you.

 

Other goodies at the fair will include coffee sweets, desserts, accessories, and souvenirs. If you are not able to make it to the expo due to the heavy rains, The Costa Rica Star invites you to stay at home, enjoy a nice cup of coffee this Sunday afternoon, and read the following articles from our archives:

 

• Tasty Decaf Coffee is Closer to Reality
• Costa Rica Has Arrived in Disneyland By Way of Starbucks
• Coffee Cupping and Tours in Costa Rica
• The Economics of Organic and Shade-Grown Coffee in Costa Rica
• Snow in Costa Rica: Coffee Blossoms Foretell Strong Export Business
• International Coffee Cupping Jury Selects the Best Roast in Costa Rica
• Cheap Coffee in Costa Rica: Great Taste at Low Prices
• The Science of Decaf
• Three or Four Starbucks Cafes in Costa Rica? No Big Deal