For our last full day in Costa Rica, Amy made the great decision that we should go on a coffee tour. We were driven out to Heredia where Cafe Britt was located. On the way, we drove through Escazú, a wealthy area that has experienced an influx of foreigners in the past decade. It looked like the United States, it was a little scary. There was the Hiper Mas,basically a Wal-mart, a hooters, outback steakhouse, an upscale mall and hotels, and the architecture had completely changed from the small, one-story, corrugated metal roofs and bars homes to familiar multi-story condominiums and buildings with tan facades and tinted green windows.
When we arrived at Cafe Britt, we were welcomed by delicious iced coffee that was pure sweetness of heaven. The tour consisted of three characters, 2 men and 1 women who “worked” at the coffee plantation. They were actually actors, but entertaining and informative. They detailed the growing and processing processes required for coffee beans. At one point they asked for a volunteer. Esther shot up her hand, and was taken into some bushes. She emerged with a giant coffee bean!
Esther found a giant coffee bean in the forest!
We then went into a small auditorium where they asked for 2 more volunteers to help quality test the coffee. Amy volunteered for this one and showed her skills by smelling the beans, slurping the coffee so that it would touch all the taste bud areas, and more. She was a quality tester on a whole different level than the other volunteer. For her mastery, she won a prize, a small bag that said “Yo visite Costa Rica” with a bag of coffee inside. They then went through this absurd skit about how coffee came to Costa Rica-there was a marriage, rolling costumes, and craziness. Needless to say I got a little lost.
Amy, master coffee tester, and slurper!
Next, the three of us were on the special “coffee lovers” tour, where we proceeded to the wet mill where the coffee beans are processed. The fourth stage of this process is where workers rake the beans on a drying patio as Esther demonstrates below.
Esther, master coffee bean raker!
After lunch, we met up with Carla who showed us how to make espresso and specialty coffee drinks. I got to make a layered drink with coffee, foam, syrup, and liquor. Esther and Amy made Espressos, Amy made foam, and Esther went overboard with the chocolate syrup.
Julia, master sugary coffee drinker!
Amy, master foam maker!
Julia, master foam pourer, and Esther, master espresso maker!
Full of caffeine and chocolate-covered fruit jelly samples we headed home satisfied.
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