Tinker Coffee Returns with Indy Coffee Festival

With one year under their belts, Tinker Coffee is back with their second annual Indianapolis Cup. The event, which brings together numerous coffee industry insiders including Indie Coffee Roasters, Mile Square Coffee, Bee Coffee Roasters, Pilcrow Coffee, Utopian Coffee Company, and more for a coffee filled day.

Prior to last year’s event Tinker Coffee’s co-founder Steve Hall shared with NUVO exactly what a cup is and its importance. “You can’t just tell someone that this coffee is better; that just doesn’t last very long. You have to really help people understand what is different about it,” Hall says.

He continues, “Cupping is how coffee is formally evaluated…It’s a fun way to experience coffee and it’s a great way to experience the differences between coffees and that’s our biggest thing; like when we host classes here we go through a detailed sensory evaluation and help people understand what they’re tasting, or how to experience different flavors, or what to think about when you’re smelling something.…If you can just get a sense for what you liked or why you liked it, then you can go explore this world of coffee.”

This year’s event is being held at the Biltwell Event Center in Indianapolis on May 6 and runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Over 25 coffee roasters, breweries, distilleries, and bakeries will be there with goods to eat and drink.

Hall says, “The biggest change from last year is the scope. For the first Indy Cup, we had a big group cupping followed by a sampling event with our friends and partners around town. This year we’re giving attendees the chance to attend a more personalized cupping experience with a VIP ticket and General Admission tickets give attendees the chance to try a ton of awesome coffees from some of the best roasters in the Midwest. We’re really excited to give people the chance to try so many different coffees and learn from so many great coffee pros.”

One of these coffee pros is Genuine Origin which specializes in specialty coffees imported from micro-lots which allows attendees to taste coffees that they normally would never find in a coffee shop.