S1: Welcome in San Diego. It's Jade Hindman on today's show. World of coffee is happening in San Diego. We'll talk about the unique specialty coffee scene here and the culture behind it , plus all of the arts events happening around town this weekend. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. So coffee lovers are in for a real treat because starting this Friday , World of Coffee will be coming to San Diego. It's one of the biggest coffee industry events in the United States , bringing together specialty shops , roasters and educators from really all across the globe. Many local shops are already kicking off this week with their own special events , and my next two guests work in the industry. They're here to talk about World of Coffee and how coffee itself intertwines with culture and community. Kristin Clevenger is the founder of one of one community. It's a local Philippine coffee pop up. Kristin , welcome.
S2: Thank you so much for having me.
S1: So glad to have you here. Also with us is Jackie McCourt. She's an educator with the San Diego Coffee Training Institute , and she'll actually be doing a lecture at World of Coffee this Saturday. Jackie , welcome to you , too.
S3: Thank you. I'm excited to be here today.
S1: All right. Well , I can't wait to get into this conversation. I'm interested to know about all of these things. Coffee. But before we get into the actual details of World of Coffee , I'm curious to hear from you both. I mean , do you remember your early relationship with coffee ? I mean , like , do you remember the first time you ever drank it ? Kristen ? Absolutely.
S2: My grandparents growing up always had Folgers in the house. So , yeah , instant coffee was , um , available. And what I was familiar with. And a few years into my time living in LA. So that would be around 2015. Is one that I started to really explore. Coffee as a barista. Hmm.
S1: Hmm.
S3: So. My abuelo. It's kind of a tradition in the Salvadoran household , specifically my mom's side of the family. Everyone has coffee. Starting from a crazy young age. Wow. Maybe that's why I'm so short. Who knows ? But.
S1: Um , surely that didn't stunk.
S3: No , I think it made me better. It did. So it's just a little bit of coffee and a lot of milk and sugar. A café con leche. And I was at a family member's birthday party. I think it was my deal. I don't know exactly , but , yeah , I do remember my first cup of coffee , being surrounded by family and being surrounded by my mom's culture as well. So definitely stuck in my mind and started being on my coffee journey.
S1: That's amazing. So I mean , and in your journey , you're you're now a coffee educator.
S3: I think it's being a good observer. And I think for me , I really want to be passionate about accessibility. So with education , yes , it is my job. I do clock in and out , but at the same time I want to make sure that I'm a resource for everybody. Mhm.
S1: Mhm.
S3: That can be a good and bad thing. Hopefully I'm using that for good. Um , but I have my undergrad in history and art , so culture is super important to me. I think also coming from immigrant family on both sides , my mom's family , my mom is from El Salvador and then my dad , he's not even sure he's third or fourth generation Irish , but they were very proud Irish Catholics. So I think culture has been a part of my family and my heritage , and also just what I've been interested in and what I'm going to continue to study in grad school. How that pairs with coffee is I actually graduated coffee at the end. Or coffee ? You can graduate coffee if you take one of my classes. Just kidding. Um , I graduated college at the end of 2019 , and then I had to become a barista to survive in the pandemic. There were no museums hiring , but I found that with coffee , it is a way to connect with communities and different cultures. And I found my research background really , really was exemplified in that.
S1: Yeah , it's amazing how we find our careers. Um , Jackie , what about you ? I mean , um , ah , Kristen. I'm sorry. Like , tell me about , um , what got you interested in starting your business ? One of one community ? Absolutely.
S2: One of one really is a culmination of experiences that are tied to my cultural heritage , going through my own journey of understanding my history , what it means to be a Filipino Filipina specifically , and in this journey of wanting to feel more connected to my culture. I found a lot of inspiration and learning about Philippine coffee. So when I was planning my move back home here to San Diego , I really wanted to envision a place that proudly represented that Filipino cultural heritage , and I hadn't seen that yet. And so I'm a very curious person , naturally. And that's where I then made connection with Colette Coffee Roasters. And they worked directly with Cassata Coffee , which is in the Philippines , and Costa Coffee focuses on really improving the conditions for the farmers there. They're very values driven and primarily women lead. It just happens to be that way. And so spending about a decade in specialty coffee , I often didn't see representation frequently around women in coffee , Filipinos and coffee. And so this was all really exciting to me at the time. And Paul and I from Coffee Roasters then began conversation , and he knew that I eventually wanted to start my business. And so when I was ready to do that March of last year , that's when we started our partnership of wholesaling coffee together. And when it comes to crafting the menu , when it comes to crafting our storytelling , I take a lot of inspiration from my upbringing. So our first drink special was actually our Neapolitan , which was inspired by my thigh. My thigh , which is our term that we use for grandfather , would treat us to Neapolitan ice cream as kids , and to me that was a way to honor that memory. But really , what came of that was that by sharing that on our menu , many of our customers would also then share their own stories with me about their grandparents. And that , to me , is one of the beautiful things about coffee and community as a vehicle to connect with others. Wow.
S1: Wow. And there's a world of people out there who share in that connection that you both have to coffee. So what excites you about having an event like World of Coffee in San Diego ? Kristen.
S2: World of coffee is a huge deal here. I am really excited on a number of levels , I think. World of coffee creates a space for conversations around the coffee industry that I believe still need to be of conversation , whether that's to really understand the value behind coffee and really understanding the value chain and how many hands and people contribute to that before it gets to the customer. And so it creates conversation around what are the producers and the farmers really going through then to the roasters and the , the step that they take in , um , taking this beautiful coffee that has been grown and then preparing it for the barista who then crafts that drink for the customer. And I think there's an ongoing conversation around , wow , like , you know , a latte now maybe costs $6 , $7 , but why is that ? You know , I think that there's helpful education around the connection between the consumer and then the industry. I think it's also an opportunity to really inspire creativity for those that are looking to pursue their own careers. Within coffee , there's workshops , there's lectures , everything from also understanding how to develop more equitable systems within the coffee industry , not only from a producing standpoint , but also from a business owner standpoint. And so this is a global event that is really bringing eyes here to San Diego. And there are a number of coffee professionals that have been at this craft for many years , and I'm really excited for them to get this moment essentially. So it's it's just a lot of fun. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. No , it sounds like a Jackie.
S3: One being that I think San Diego has a little bit of an underrated coffee scene. Um , also , there's a lot of cultural coffee shops in San Diego too , which is really cool. So of course we have the wonderful one on one pop up. There's other Filipino pop ups as well. There's also Ethiopian coffee shops. You can also find Vietnamese coffee shops as well. There's also Cambodian donut places that have amazing Vietnamese coffee as well. Golden donut I have to shout them out. That's my place. Um , and of course a lot of Latino owned coffee shops too. I think being a border town , that also needs to be taken into consideration with World of Coffee. So we are in Kumeyaay lands , of course , and with a lot of Mexican people here , the border actually crossed them. It used to be Mexico. So what's really , really cool about this world of coffee is that I feel like that has been taken into account. So there are some lectures about being Latino not to plug me , but mine is one of them. But there's another lecture that I saw that's also going to be in Spanish , which I think is amazing because that is one of the most spoken languages here , specifically in San Diego. And I kind of see it as an extension of TJ for sure. So hopefully some of our TJ counterparts will be there talking with us in Spanish , and I will be speaking in my broken Spanish as I always do.
S1:
S2: I mean , you know , we look at this amazing Mexican owned coffee shop , um , also focusing on sourcing coffees from Mexico. Um , we have , uh , Saigon coffee , the Vietnamese coffee , um , take as well. And then , you know , a couple other amazing pop ups. There's Cafe Muna , which is Philippine specialty coffee as well. We have Cuban coffee , and it's this really dynamic creative scene that I think is becoming this amazing vessel for connection , human connection. At the end of the day , I feel that we're in a time where people are really craving a sense of authenticity when it comes to building community , and coffee has always been a vehicle to be that nexus for folks. Truly , whether there's a physical shop or not , I think the pop up community is a great example of how people are still gathering , even though they may not have , you know , the four walls that of an actual brick and mortar. But through these spaces , I feel that people haven't have an experience of truly feeling understood and seen for who they are. By being able to visit a place that carries the flavors that reflect their culture or that , um , you know , share the same cultural practices. And so I think it speaks to the diversity of San Diego and the vibrant communities here. And it's really exciting to see how something like World of Coffee is not only shining a light on that now , but what will happen even after the conference departs. Right.
S1: Right. One of the things that I thought was so interesting is , you know , like I was it's like how big this , this industry event is and how many people participated from all different walks of life. I was watching ESPN this morning and they had a world famous WWE wrestler on there who is going to be at the The World of Coffee event. He's got a coffee out.
S3: There are also the people that are competing , but I think there's a lot of coffee hobbyists. I know this too , from teaching coffee classes , and a lot of people sign up that previously had no connection to coffee but have found their way through it , either through their own culture or just honestly. There is , I think , an interest in coffee shops as the brick and mortars or even as community spaces like pop ups. It's kind of interesting. There's a huge history there as far as coffee houses have been in existence for so many years and in so many different cultures around the world , but they're trendy places , really , for a lack of a better way to say it. They're they're cool , they're cute. Sometimes there's coffee bookshops , there's coffee record shops. So when you're involved in coffee , you're a part of this industry , even if you're just going as a coffee lover and not someone who actually works there.
S1: Right ? Very cool. And you mentioned , um , history. And I want to go back and talk about that a bit because you mentioned Ethiopian coffee shops earlier and Ethiopia is recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Addis on El Cajon is one restaurant and shop that host Ethiopian coffee ceremonies , for example. So can you talk about the origins of coffee ? Yes.
S3: So for anyone that is interested in wine , grape varietals behave similarly to coffee varietals. So you can think of it as the parent varietals of coffee. So the parent plants all come from Ethiopia. And as far as the exact time period for that that's contested , um , but it is believed that there were people that were brewing coffee before it was actually written in historical accounts. There's actually a lot of interesting mythologies and folklore about who the first person was , who brewed coffee or figured out what coffee actually was , and what it could do as a drink. Um , also , some scholars believe that there was this particular Sufi monk in the 1500s. His name was Ober Chatelet , and he apparently was the first person to actually brew coffee. Now again , not exactly sure , but I love that because there are a lot of folklore stories that reflect that. Exactly. Wow.
S1: Wow. It's so very interesting and something I don't know.
S3: It's just like any other crop that you see utilized in all kinds of cultural dishes and in communities. So I think the way that you're approaching coffee and you're making coffee says a lot about you as a person and where you come from. And that's been true for coffee since the very beginning , since its origin. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Kirsten , I'm curious how you are thinking about this history today as you run your business. Absolutely.
S2: Absolutely. I , I'm personally very passionate and interested about history in the sense that , you know , last year , actually , for International Coffee Day , one of one hosted a community event at Minga , where it was inspired by a few historical components of women in coffee specifically. And the event included a film called Manta Ray , which is about the people behind Philippine specialty coffee. We'll actually , um , month that it will be screening at Features Color on Friday night. And that's a really special treat because Paul , the filmmaker , will travel to various locations to showcase this film , to really see the stories of those behind , especially our Philippine specialty coffee , but really also a a look at what they go through to really understand that process. And we screened that film Additionally , a friend who's a local florist , she created this incredible art piece that was inspired by the history of women in El Salvador and that coffee history around specifically what was , um , centered around Limpia Dora's , which was at the time a position within the coffee fields that they had to , like , hand clean and hand process all of the coffee beans. But the emphasis that they did not get the same pay , they did not get the same treatment. But that was actually the most critical step at the time in coffee processing to determine the value of the coffee. And so I thought that was such a unique piece of history. It's , um , one that I thought was just still very relevant as far as talking about equity and coffee and , you know , how women or , um , folks that are not , you know , men that are the way that they're being treated in the coffee industry. And she created this gorgeous piece , and then we had the historical reference next to it. And then in addition to that , we also had a panel of women coffee professionals , which included Jackie as well , just to engage in conversation around their experiences working in the coffee industry. So history is critical. It's it's it's woven into everything. And I believe that when we have a greater understanding and awareness of the truth and what what the facts are , it can help us just show up in this world , hopefully a little bit more compassionately and with greater understanding of what we're interacting with or what we're engaging with and in this case , with coffee. So there's that component. And then kind of adding to what Jackie had just shared as well. When I think of coffee and how it's used by different cultures , at least in my experience , Filipinos embody what's called the bayanihan , which is an element about being so community driven and showing up for folks. And that's really how we approach our pop up as well.
S1: All right. So very interesting. I've been speaking with Kristin Clevenger , founder of the Coffee Pop Up , One of One Community , and Jackie McCourt , coffee educator with the San Diego Coffee Training Institute. World of coffee kicks off tomorrow at the San Diego Convention Center , and it'll run through the weekend. Badges are on sale right now on the World of Coffee website , but like we mentioned , local coffee shops are already doing their own thing. So for more details on what you just heard , check out KPBS. Kristin. Jackie , thank you so very much.
S2: Thank you very much.
S4: Thank you for having us.
S1: Stick around. The weekend preview is up next when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for our weekend preview. We take a look at the art of protest and the art of gossip , plus some yacht rock and a play about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. So joining me with all the details is KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S2: Hey , Jade.
S4: Thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you here. So we have to start with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. What's that about ? Right.
S4: I mean , who doesn't love their friendship , right ? Who among us ? This is a play. It's called Matt and Ben. It's written by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers in 2004. So this was like right before Mindy Kaling started writing for and starring in The Office. So kind of like right before her rise to fame. And they wrote this play for themselves. To star in Kaling was Ben Affleck and Withers was Matt Damon. And it kind of reinvents how Matt and Ben wrote the play. The the movie good Will hunting. So this is before their big fame. Also , it's at New Village Arts in Carlsbad. It's directed by Maria Patrice Ammann and following in the footsteps of the writers themselves , Matt and Ben are both portrayed by women , and this is the San Diego premiere. It's the first time the play has ever been put on here in town , and it's on stage through April 26th.
S1: All right. Well , also in theater. Uh , there's a production opening this weekend at the Old Globe. I believe in its fences.
S4: Yeah , this is August Wilson's play fences. He wrote it in 1985. It won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for Best Play when it was produced in 1987. It's part of Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle. These are plays all about Pittsburgh. There's about ten of them , I think , but it definitely stands alone. The play , set in 1957 , in Pittsburgh , follows the story of Troy Maxson. He is a former black Baseball League player and a sanitation worker , and he's kind of dealing with the fallout of what it means to let go of your dreams after baseball didn't work out for him. It's directed here by the amazing Felicia Turner Sonnenberg , and it's on stage through May 3rd.
S1: All right , that'll be a good one. Um , a new visual art exhibit explores the art of protest through printmaking.
S4: It's curated by por la mano press and explores the use of printmaking in protest art movements. So these are artists who are using design and graphics as a form of resistance. I mean , some , you know , all scales , including like protest signs. Right. Um , printmaking is a pretty broad concept , technically , anything from screen printing or like mass production ready methods to things like a woodcut where the artist will , like , carve an image or a message into wood and then , like , apply ink and press it onto the print. But the thing that these methods have in common is like this DIY nature. It brings the means of production to the people with few supplies or really accessible supplies. And that's what makes it effective for these resistance movements or for protest. And this exhibit like really just celebrates all of that. It has dozens of artists from the region and from all over and across generations , too. So it's a look at how printmaking has been used historically and how it's used now. There's a reception this Saturday from 4 to 8 , and the exhibit will then be up until mid September and it's free.
S1: All right. So very interesting. Um , another exhibit that recently opened , uh , explores the intimacy of gossip. This I have to hear about. Mhm.
S4: So this is curated by , uh , painter and muralist Scarlett Bailey. I checked it out last weekend. It's incredible. It's a group exhibit of seven local artists. There's painting , there's photography , installation work , uh , ceramics , even poetry. Um , couple stand out pieces for me. Were these , like , religion informed chair sculptures ? Um , like , kind of installation works ? There's rage doodles , just really atmospheric photography. It's really immersive , actually , for a group exhibition. Um , a lot of the works are really vulnerable , and the description text really gets into , like , the stories behind the pieces. Love that. Um , it's all like an homage to the shared revelations that intimacy that comes from gossip , just how like , connective and healing it can be. It's up through April 26th , so not too much longer. At Union Hall Gallery , this is in Golden Hill. The gallery's open Thursday through Sunday from noon to six , and it's also free.
S1: So much going on. All right , so voices of our City choir is hosting a yacht soul singalong tonight. Tell me about it.
S4: So I'd heard of yacht Rock before , but I kind of love the idea of yacht soul. It's like I looked it up. Google says it's smooth and sophisticated soul. Um. One example. Earth , Wind and fire.
S1: All right.
S5: And so we lost a loved one.
S4: Oh , and , you know , voices of our city choir is going to perform , uh , a whole bunch in a singalong style. They're a local choral non-profit ensemble. They support people impacted by homelessness , and they're also going to have Padres and Goals organist Bobby Cressey , who's going to accompany them ? And if you want to join in on the sing along , you can brush up on some of the music before you go. They specifically mention some songs. There's Let's Groove. Um , there is that's what friends Are for and want to dance with somebody. So you can you can practice and get yourself ready. Tickets are $30 , and it is a fundraiser to support voices of Our City Choir's mission. The show is 7 p.m. tonight at Saint Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Bankers Hill.
S1: Oh my gosh , I love that. And I think we do actually have that clip that we tried to play earlier.
S4: Oh well let's listen. Yes.
S6: Oh I love the scroll.
S1: I love it , I love it. And well , on that. Uh , you know , the San Diego Music Awards are scheduled for next month. And in the lead up to the ceremony , the organizers have put together a series of pop up showcases and showcase concerts around the region. And you have a couple on your radar this weekend. Right.
S4: Right. So Friday evening , there's the Hidden City Sound series at California Center for the Arts , Escondido , and this is their free outdoor concert series. This month's edition is all about San Diego Music Award nominees. Um , it's an Americana and R&B showcase. There's Jesse Ray Smith , Kimmie Bitter , and Rebecca Jade. This is Rebecca Jade's recent single , not me. No way. Access.
S7: Access. To it. Anywhere. No way.
S4: And the Escondido show is 7 p.m. Friday evening at California Center for the Arts , Escondido. General admission is free , but if you do want to reserve seating , they have these like bistro tables. You can get a ticket for those. And those are $20 each. And there's one more show showcase. It's a rare matinee at the Casbah and it's Sunday. It's a local rock and pop showcase. So the Farmers Go Scarlet , The Reckless and Tamara Burke , and we're listening right now to go Scarlet's latest , it's la moto cyclist , which is nominated for best Rock or indie song. And.
S6: And.
S7: Something more.
S4: And the show starts at 4 p.m. at the Casbah , so you can even be home in time for dinner. Tickets for that show are $15.
S1: All right. You can find details on these and more events on our website at pbs.org. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of The Finest , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , thank you so much.
S4: Thank you. Jade , this is Ben.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
