Understanding the success of “Specialty” Coffee More and more consumers, especially young people, are starting to stop underestimating this beverage.

Not everyone knows that so-called “specialty coffee” started being discussed as early as the 1970s, especially in the United States. At that time, the term – now widely used – was employed to indicate coffee grown under particular environmental and climatic conditions, which gave it a very recognizable aroma. In this context, the focus was primarily on the quality of the coffee bean: factors such as the botanical variety, altitude, climate, and soil were considered crucial for achieving a more complex and distinctive aroma. Even today, the term “specialty coffee” defines a precise quality standard: it involves producers, roasters, and baristas who work to ensure traceability, sustainable cultivation and processing methods, and special attention to the coffee's organoleptic characteristics, in an effort to offer a more mindful tasting experience. The elements that make a coffee “specialty” are defined in detail by a protocol established by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), a non-profit international organization representing and supporting the entire supply chain. These standards consider various aspects, including the botanical varieties cultivated, the origin areas, and the characteristics of the raw bean, as well as roasting or extraction parameters. Only coffees that achieve at least 80 points out of 100 in the SCA evaluation can be formally classified as “specialty.”

In recent years – globally, but especially in the West and in major cities – consumers have shown a growing preference for specialty coffees, particularly those prepared using filtering methods, which highlight the bean's more delicate and complex aromas. This technique enhances and emphasizes the aromatic complexity of the beverage, which is often lost in traditional preparations – such as espresso. This trend reflects an increasing international interest in a more mindful approach to coffee in general, focused on product quality rather than just the beverage's stimulating effect. And if you pay attention, this focus is especially noticeable among the younger generations. In short, specialty coffee has become almost a generational marker – also thanks to social media and trendy, highly “Instagrammable” specialty cafés. While for Millennials, natural wine, presented as a cultural product, has become almost an identity symbol (especially in large cities), for Gen Z this role – recently – seems to have been assumed by coffee. At the same time, many countries are rediscovering their local traditions, with unique techniques and approaches adding to the more common methods. In the United States, for example, cold brews and flavored variations are booming, while in Asia proposals combining tea and coffee are gaining traction. In Europe, filter coffee and the moka coexist with increasingly contemporary interpretations, and coffee is gradually losing the connotation of a “bar beverage”, consumed quickly while standing, to become more often a moment to enjoy calmly.

In this regard, the pandemic experience has made a difference, according to Valentina Palange, author of the book In Italia il caffè fa schifo: «In many households, people went back to using the moka and spending more time on coffee and themselves». «A good coffee needs time; one should not think that waiting means there is no quality, quite the opposite», Palange explains to CiboToday. This slower approach comes from extraction methods that require particular attention and care in preparation, such as pour-over and similar techniques. At the moment, countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan are leading the way in specialty coffee. Italy, however, is struggling to keep up. The country has long been associated with coffee culture due to its deep-rooted tradition, yet it is a misconception to believe that people here generally drink good coffee. In Italy, coffee is often consumed at the counter, meaning standing and quickly: the way people approach the beverage is, in itself, already not very mindful. The coffee drunk in Italian bars is mostly “espresso,” i.e., very concentrated, and is typically finished in no more than a couple of sips; however, this reinforces the common belief in the country that its price should not differ much from one euro: an idea that clashes with specialty coffee, which is priced higher because it guarantees greater sustainability throughout the supply chain. The hasty way of drinking and serving coffee in Italy has resulted in the vast majority of consumers no longer paying particular attention to its taste. In short, faced with the rise of coffee culture and attention to its preparation rituals, the Italian approach to this beverage seems unusual and almost paradoxical: over time, the younger generations will manage, at least partially, to change it?