Ever feel like your barista is speaking a different language when they're explaining their menu? Are you unsure what your friends are talking about when they're discussing a bean's complexity, body, or roast? Here's a quick guide to some of the more commonly used coffee vocabulary. True story: I am utterly confused by pig latin. It’s something I’ve never really understood. But, of course, pig latin is meant to be exclusionary. It’s meant to confuse those people who aren’t part of a particular group of communicators. The same could be said for cockney rhyme schemes. And some people might think...

This 5-part series will explore how Compass started working with Union Kitchen and utilized its shared commercial Kitchen space to build its Simple Syrups product line. This is the first part of a five piece series focused on how Compass Coffee and partner Union Kitchen are working together to grow the D.C. food economy. The D.C. food startup scene has been steadily growing over the last few years. Beyond high-flying restaurants and awesome food trucks, The District has started to see the growth of innovative and nationally recognized consumer brands. From Snacklinslanding an investment by Mark Cuban, to Clark’s Cubes...

From crop to cup, the coffee growing and harvesting process involves people all over the world. Like any other crop, coffee is grown and harvested according to seasons. The growing process starts during the rainy season. Then, over the course of about nine or ten months, the coffee flowers morph into coffee cherries—enticing, red berries that are then harvested and processed into green coffee beans. The Compass Coffee journey - from crop to cup. So how long does it actually take to get from the coffee farm to your cup? Though the season timing is different across the world, it...