Recommended Movies for Coffee Beginners: Is "Coffee Wars" Worth Watching?

The Coffee War Film: A Revolution in Plant-Based Milk

According to the latest news, the new film "The Coffee War" will be released on March 7th on iTunes, Prime Video, and Google Play.

Unlike previous coffee films, this one aims to raise awareness of the plant-based market and protest the World Barista Championship (WBC) rule that barred plant-based milks from competition. Filming began in early 2022.

The story follows Joe, a vegan who opens a coffee shop serving only plant-based milks and vegan options. Despite his excellent coffee-making skills, many customers leave once they discover only vegan options are available. Joe's business soon struggles badly, sliding into operational crisis and mounting debt.

Frustrated that many talented baristas are overlooked because of their vegan choices, Joe resolves to compete in the WBC. He hopes to build understanding of veganism and ensure that great baristas aren't dismissed simply for preferring plant-based milks.

Joe then leads his vegan team through a series of challenges to reach the WBC finals. Many doubt that plant-based milks can win judges over when pitted against traditional dairy.

But Joe refuses to give up — and finally gets the chance to prove that outstanding results are possible with plant-based milks in a traditionally dairy-dominated competition, and that vegan baristas deserve recognition and respect...

A Revolutionary Change in Coffee Competition

The film hopes to draw attention to the vegan market and protest the long-standing unfairness of the WBC excluding plant-based milks.

Perhaps unexpectedly, in December 2022 the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) released the new rules for the 2023 World Barista Championship, permitting plant-based milks to compete alongside dairy.

The SCA's decision followed criticism from industry professionals and competitors over the lack of inclusivity, accessibility, and fairness in competitions that heavily shape the specialty coffee market. Under mounting pressure, the SCA finally allowed plant-based milks in future events.

Before the announcement, baristas from various countries had already been disqualified from regional competitions for insisting on plant-based milks.

Many industry professionals argued that these competitions should be fair and just, leading the specialty coffee industry by example. Disqualifying talented baristas merely because they don't consume dairy means losing out on many potentially exceptional competitors.

The Complexities of Judging Milk-Based Beverages

The SCA had long prohibited plant-based and other non-dairy milks in WBC competition because of the challenges they pose for sensory evaluation. The new rules allow competitors to use any commercially available plant-based milk — oat, soy, almond, coconut, even blends.

Each type of milk affects a beverage's flavor and texture differently, making the evaluation and scoring of milk drinks more complex and demanding new judging criteria.

Writing rules that guarantee fair competition between plant-based and dairy milks is no small task, requiring considerable time and manpower — which explains why the SCA stayed silent on plant-based milk for so many years.

That said, competitors have been using highly processed milks for years. 2022 WBC champion Anthony Douglas, for example, used frozen, purified milk to enhance his coffee's sweetness.

By applying freeze-drying technology to extract milk powder at 900% purity, then recombining it with milk at a 1:10 ratio, the sugar, fat, and protein content of the milk were doubled. Heating it to 55°C activated its high sweetness.

Coffee made with this specially engineered milk could still be judged under the standard milk-beverage criteria — which further fueled criticism from plant-milk supporters. They questioned the SCA's reasoning and demanded that plant-based milks be allowed into competition.

As for how Joe fares on screen — and how the 2023 WBC unfolds — this writer can hardly wait!

Image source: Internet

Recommended Coffee Films and Documentaries

Since it's the weekend, here are several coffee-related films and documentaries worth watching:

"A Film About Coffee" — this 67-minute documentary takes you through every role in the specialty coffee supply chain, from growers, traders, and baristas to consumers, all striving to produce better coffee.

"Inside the Factory: Coffee" — you can't understand the coffee industry by looking only at specialty coffee. Instant, freeze-dried, and ready-to-drink coffees are actually the industry's best-selling products.

"Black Coffee" — over 174 minutes, this film traces how coffee evolved from an obscure plant into an inseparable part of modern society, politics, and daily life.

"The Coffee Man" & "Barista" — "Barista" documents the enormous preparation baristas put in before competitions, from reading psychology and philosophy to rehearsing presentation skills (tone, intonation, expressions), all to craft performances that move the judges.

"The Coffee Man" tells the story of Sasa, the 2015 WBC champion — how he worked with coffee farmers to raise quality, kept refining his skills, and finally took the WBC crown.

"The Story of Chinese Coffee" — set in Yunnan, China, this documentary shows the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of Yunnan coffee, offering both coffee knowledge and a deeper look at Chinese coffee culture.

"Coffee Or Tea?" — this film follows three young people who, through a chain of coincidences, start a coffee farming venture together in Yunnan, using their passion, sincerity, and skill to win recognition for Yunnan coffee and show the promising road ahead.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If "Coffee Or Tea?" has you curious about Yunnan, FrontStreet Coffee's Yunnan beans are the tastiest follow-up. The 2013 Natural Typica, grown at 1,300 meters from one of Arabica's oldest varieties, is medium roasted for a clean cup of hazelnut, dried apricot, black tea, caramel, and ripe plum — balanced, soft, and very beginner-friendly.

For a taste of all three continents, start with the washed Yirgacheffe (Africa's jasmine and lemon-bright classic), the Indonesia Mandheling (Asia's mellow, herbal-woody heavyweight for those who dislike acidity), and the Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon (the Americas' creamy, toffee-nut crowd-pleaser that suits pour-over, moka pot, French press, and more). Three regions, one beginner's flight — no cinema ticket required.