by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 9, 2019 | Bon Appetit
Coffee aficionados were treated to an exclusive Coffee Exploration session with renowned Coffee Man and 2015 World Barista Champion, Sasa Sestic. The curated event was hosted by homegrown coffee company Henry and Sons and the luxury hotel Grand Hyatt Manila.
The Coffee Man experience brings to the Philippines Sestic’s amazing journey to becoming a champion barista and the lengths he went to in search of the perfect cup of coffee. More than a barista, Sestic is also a passionate and knowledgeable coffee-grower who constantly experiments with techniques and methods.
Among his experiments is the post-harvest method called Carbonic Maceration. One of the specialty coffees processed under this method is the Jasper Coffee from the Masina Village in Ethiopia, which is now available at Florentine, Grand Hyatt Manila.

More importantly, Sestic also believes in putting the welfare of coffee farmers first while growing sustainable, world-class beans.
“Showcasing Sasa’s talent to the Philippines allows our local baristas to draw inspiration from his experience and story. He has infinite knowledge and learning that baristas, farmers, and even us – coffee distributors – can learn from,” says Michael Harris Conlin, President & CEO of Henry and Sons and 2019 Philippine National Barista Champion.
To say that Sasa Sestic is “driven” is like describing Mt. Everest as “high.” Sasa (pronounced “Sasha”) has been pursuing the perfect cup of coffee for more than 15 years. He started pushing the envelope on coffee tastes when he became a barista in 2003. His drive took him to study where a region or country yields their best coffee.
His passion is insatiable. Not only is he interested in coffee knowledge, but he also intends to teach what he knows, as well as help coffee farmers improve their lives and communities.
The Coffee Man
According to Sasa, helping coffee farmers ensures the quality of produce is elevated. Understanding a region’s climate and planting cycle led him to know when a region’s coffee would be best. A book about his journey is a forward intention especially considering that he was halfway into the book when he won the 2015 Barista Championship.
The best-selling book “The Coffee Man” narrates his journey to becoming a barista, how he went to the coffee farmers in search of the best coffee beans, and the new methods to bring out the flavors of coffee. The “Coffee Man” has also been created into a movie.
It took him 7 attempts before he won the Australian Barista Championship in 2015. That same year, he won the World Barista Championship (WBC) held in Seattle. In the dozen years prior to winning the WBC, his career has expanded from a barista to becoming the head of ONA Coffee Wholesale, and a couple of cafes which include The Cupping Room, ONA Coffee House, and ONA Manuka.
He has also been helping farmers with Project Origin, an ethical green bean trading company which has so far created long-term mutually rewarding relationships with more than 100 growers in coffee-producing countries.
Project Origin has helped pave the way for farmers to earn more and improve their crops, livelihood and their financial status. The organization has also raised funds for livelihood, health, education and community projects which benefit the coffee farmers.
It is no wonder that Michael Harris Conlin found him to be a kindred, coffee-loving spirit. The Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence (FSCE) which Conlin began, aims to help local farmers produce sustainable and world-class coffee for Filipinos to enjoy. In achieving this goal, he helps the farmers by buying their coffee and then giving back proceeds from the sale to train farmers and give them the right tools to become better coffee producers.
Besides their efforts to reach out to farmers in Benguet and other coffee-growing areas in the Philippines, the FSCE also wants to hone the skills of current and future baristas. Conlin founded the Institute of Coffee Excellence, right across the popular The Giving Café (TGC) which was opened earlier.
The two-story Institute is a laboratory and creative playground for Conlin and his team. It houses classes for baristas, brokers farmer-trader deals and discussions while finding innovative ways to make Philippine coffee beans more accessible to an international audience.
Earlier this year, Henry and Sons brought coffee expert Mokhtar Alkhanshali and his high-rating coffee from Yemen, Port of Mokha, to the Philippines for a similar event.
To know more about Henry and Sons, visit henryandsons.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 5, 2019 | Events

World Travel Market London
Itogon Coffee, one of our country’s premium specialty coffee from Benguet province, debuts at the World Travel Market London (WTM London), the leading global event for the travel industry that will take place from November 4 to 6.

Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines (TPB) and Henry & Sons will brew, serve and share the beautiful story behind this delicious coffee from Itogon, a mining town in Benguet that is continuously transforming into a sustainable coffee-growing community. This opens an opportunity for Henry & Sons to fulfill its commitment to bring back the Philippines in the global coffee spotlight through a sustainable coffee economy.
Through the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence, the advocacy arm of Henry and Sons, different programs are being conducted to help the farmers produce quality coffee beans. While the country takes pride in brewing the Itogon coffee at the WTM London, the beautiful journey of the coffee farmers from the mining profession to growing, harvesting and delivering delicious coffee for the world to taste will also be shared during the event.

Raoul de Peralta
The Institute for Coffee Excellence‘s Chief Educator Raoul de Peralta will brew and man the coffee bar at the Philippine Pavilion.
WTM London is a global event where industry professionals meet and conduct business deals. Through its industry networks, unrivaled global reach, WTM London creates personal and business opportunities, providing customers with quality contacts, content and communities.

itogon coffee
Get to taste Itogon coffee and contribute in helping them shift their main livelihood from mining into coffee farming and in empowering the farmers to process world-class specialty coffees in their own backyards.
Visit thevault.ph for orders and for more information.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 9, 2016 | Food & Beverage
Philippine coffee (locally sourced coffee) can compete with coffees from other parts of the world … this is something that most people do not seem to be aware of. Most filipinos are aware of the barako coffee from Batangas, known for its kick and flavorful aroma. A few are familiar with the Bukidnon coffee grown by the trancendental monks.
And then there is Bo’s Coffee — a staunch supporter of homegrown coffee, this Christmas they are promoting the coffee of Benguet.
Christmas Treat at Bo’s Coffee
This Christmas season try out the Christmas offering of Bo’s Coffee.

The Benguet Minty Cold White Brew and the Queso de Bola cheesecake are the perfect pairing.

The Benguet Minty Cold White Brew and the Queso de Bola cheesecake are the perfect pairing.
The Christmas Beverage
Given a choice between hot or cold brewed coffee I often opt for the cold brew. My reason? I’ve burned my tongue more times than I can count when drinking freshly brewed hot coffee. 😀 I guess it is safe to say I’m not very patient, hehehe.
This made Bo’s Coffees Benguet Minty Cold White Brew the perfect drink for me. Benguet coffee is not very acidic and the sprig of mint made this iced beverage extra refreshing.
Iced coffees are often sickly sweet. In contrast, the Benguet Minty Cold Brew’s sweetness level was right on the money. As my cousin, Teddy Boy would have said when he was a kid … not to sweet, not too bitter, just right on the groove.
The Christmas Cake

The Queso de Bola Cheesecake
To the Filipino family Christmas = queso de bola. And most Christmas celebrations come with cheesecake. Therefore, it makes so much sense to make a cheesecake made with Queso de bola.
Queso de bola is a sharp, hard cheese, wrapped in red wax often served with ham at noche buena and other Christmas parties. Made into a cheesecake, this luscious dessert is tart and sweet at the same time.
In my personal opinion, the Queso de Bola Cheesecake could even be too sweet which is why it pairs up perfectly with the Benguet Minty Cold White Brew. Try it yourself and let me know what you think.
Introducing: The Bo’s Coffee Starter Kit


The Bo’s Coffee Starter Kit
The Bo’s Coffee starter kit contains the following:
- clear glass cup wrapped in a cosy
- V60 dripper
- paper filters
- booklet with recipes inside
- a small pouch of coffee grounds
- postcards
- gift bag made of indigenous material like a sack cloth with Bo’s logo stitched on it
It will be available for sale early next year. In the meantime, how can we avail of this kit?
Download the Bo’s Coffe app on the Appstore and Google Play.

The Bo’s Coffee app can be downloaded from both the appstore and on Google Play.
The app is akin to a stamp card or sticker book. With every visit where we purchase food or a drink worth P250 we show the app to the barista and they “shoot” the barcode to register the sale. Each registered sale is equivalent to one voucher used plus points!
On our 10th voucher we get a free Bo’s Coffee cup. On the 15th voucher we can get the Starter Kit … for free! Yey! Yes, I said free!
The stamp card concept is not new. Many establishments do this … from sandwiches, donuts, chinese restaurants … it is their way of tracking loyal customers.
Whether you are a loyal customer or just trying it out, make your way to Bo’s Coffee this holiday season and try out their holiday offerings.
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