Community Connection: Jackson Coffee Club & Latte Art Competitions
Perhaps the next best thing to sharing a meal with someone is meeting them for coffee. This is especially true in Jackson, where the opening of local coffee shops has been on caffeine for the last few years. But what’s beginning to stand out about the Jackson coffee scene is the opportunities it provides for people to gather. From coffee clubs to latte art throwdowns and annual events like the Jackson Coffee Festival, these events celebrate coffee culture in completely different ways and help to foster a growing sense of community in Jackson.
"Educate, caffeinate, conversate,” is how Mason Strawderman, Retail General Manager of Northshore Specialty Coffee, characterized the idea behind his shop’s monthly Coffee Club events. “They came about as I was training my baristas and wanting to continue deepening their knowledge and experience…really getting into the nitty gritty of the coffee industry,” Mason said. “Because when they know that, they can then turn around and talk to a customer about it.”
Northshore’s Coffee Club meetups take place on the last Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Northshore Café at The District at Eastover in LeFleur East. The January event drew about 30 people from across Jackson, including one visitor from Louisiana. Participants tasted coffees never before shared in the coffee shops, learned how to brew via a pourover Chemex and shared experiences in a low-key setting.
“Right now, the events are free, with samples like espresso shots passed around,” Mason said. He added, "Anybody can come. It's not for just coffee nerds. It's for anybody who enjoys coffee, wants to know more about it and wants to learn more, come be a part of the community that cares about it."
The same is true of Jackson’s Latte Art Throwdowns, which have come onto the scene over the last several years. What does that look like? Skilled baristas from shops across Jackson and beyond, facing off one-on-one in single elimination brackets. Competitors vie to create true works of art using nothing more than a cup and two ingredients: coffee and milk. The pressure is most definitely on, especially in rounds featuring small cups with little milk, and it’s not just in the espresso machine. Competitions have been hosted by the likes of Native Coffee and others in Jackson, but Northshore and Fertile Ground Brewing Company have taken up the mantle, partnering with fellow shops like The Bean in Fondren and Urban Foxes, a small batch bakery and café located in Belhaven Heights, and hosting them recently in their Cultivate Coffee Project space in Belhaven Town Center.
To let off some of that pressure, the event kicks off with live music around 6 p.m. with the main event beginning at 7 p.m. While baristas compete to win, spectators also have a chance to win door prizes from local businesses. According to Stawderman, last quarter’s throwdown drew a standing-room-only crowd of well over 100 people.
"It's a show of barista skill," he said. "It's a show of real technique that's been cultivated by these people behind a bar who you think are just making coffee, but they have genuine talent."
For those who want to dive even deeper and meet roasters and providers face to face, local coffee shops and vendors are brewing up the second annual Jackson Coffee Festival on May 2 at the Mississippi Trade Mart. Here, attendees can sample local and exotic brews, learn new things and further connect with their neighbors, friends — and new friends. That’s how you cultivate community with coffee culture, one conversation and one perfectly crafted cup at a time.