154 : Decoding Decaf w/ Mike Strumpf of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffees

Decaf coffee has been much maligned over the years but it has been getting steadily better. What once was a joke amongst "serious" coffee nerds is now being focused on with the same care as its caffeinated counter part thanks to the efforts of companies like Swiss Water. But while the death of "Death before Decaf" is eminent (I hope) there still remains a lot of confusion and bias around the subject and decaf drinkers around the world are suffering because of it. Today we welcome the amazing Mike Strumpf to the show. Mike is the Director of Coffee at Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee and has an impressive list of coffee credentials – a Licensed Q Grader, Education Coordinator for the Canadian Chapter of the SCA, Authorized SCA Trainer (AST) in Green Coffee and Sensory, member of the Coffee Skills Program (CSP) Green Coffee Creators Group, SCA Barista Competitions Group Past Chair, and Head Judge for the World Barista Championship to name a few. In this conversation he is going to give us an education and perspective shift on decaf and the critical role it plays in our specialty coffee community. Some of the things you will learn in this episode: How Mike's perspective has changed on Decaf since working with Swiss Water How the industry has shifted over the years to more fully embrace Decaf Swiss Water quality control measures How Swiss Water's Decaffeination process works Reasons why you should be embracing decaf Super practical tips for roasting and brewing decaf in your business I hope you enjoy this episode with a coup of decaf (or regular) coffee and that it helps you lean into what is a blind spot for so many of us. Be sure and visit the link below to get Swiss Water in your business! LINKS: www.swisswater.com