The Steeping Room at ONA Coffee is a sensory concept designed to inform and educate their customers on the finer appreciation of specialty coffee. Using equipment that allows the coffee to be brewed in its purest form (meaning no milk, sugar or any other additive), the baristas take customers on a flavour journey around the coffee world.

In their first ever steeping session on Saturday 15th September at ONA Coffee House, the baristas ran particular coffees through several different brewing methods to show, firstly, the complex experience of coffee and, secondly, how brewing methods vary coffee flavour profiles.

Upon arrival, customers were given a delicious cold drip filter coffee to warm, or cool down, their palates before their journey. They were also given a menu, where they could choose from 3 different coffees: Bolivian Alberto Poma, Ethiopian Sidamo and Rwandan Musasa. Each of these coffees were then matched to a specific alternative brewing method.

On top of this, the menu included recommended recipes for each brewing method that the customers could take home.

The event pioneered the coffee experience in Canberra, turning traditional coffee perceptions on their heads. The event was successful beyond expectations, with several customers actually buying the brewing equipment and coffees so they could replicate the experience at home. And this is exactly the response that ONA was looking for.

ONA Coffee has been devoted to sharing their passion for coffee ever since their conception just 5 years ago. OnNA roaster and Equal Barista Cup Latte Art Champion, Sam Cora, says: “The specialty coffee industry is all about getting people to appreciate coffee beyond their caffeine hit in the morning. I believe education is the first step to making this a mainstream reality.”

Saturday the 15th was not the last you will hear of these steeping sessions. ONA Coffee intend the event to be a long running concept that integrates into a multifaceted campaign that brings the specialty coffee industry to the everyday coffee drinkers.

“We have learnt that coffee jargon is intimidating and scares most people away from experimenting with coffee. To truly create change, we need to communicate these technical concepts in an approachable and fun way,” says ONA designer and marketer, Jack Scheeren.

The steeping sessions cover the approachability aspect. The baristas dedicate time to talking customers though every step as they brew the coffee.

The fun aspect, on the other hand, is conveyed at a completely different event. In the last issue of Café Culture Magazine, ONA Coffee was ‘Jamming the House’ with a spectacularly fun event, where newcomers and baristas mixed it up with cold drip coffee, cupping and latte art competitions throughout the evening.

If you want to see what these Steeping Sessions are all about, or take part in the next ONA Barista Jam, please visit the website
www.onacoffee.com.au and follow them on Facebook.