Whether you’re aiming to be a top-notch barista or just want to brew better coffee at home, check out these four Northern Virginia coffee shops offering hands-on coffee workshops and classes.
Rare Bird Coffee Roasters | Falls Church
- Cupping sessions: Explore the world of coffee tasting and learn to identify flavor profiles like a pro.
- Latte art for beginners: Discover the basics of milk texturing and practice creating beautiful designs.
- Espresso for beginners: Learn how to pull the perfect shot of espresso with the right technique and timing.
- Brewing for beginners: Master pour-over, French press, and other manual brewing methods for great coffee at home.
Caffe Amouri | Vienna
- Espresso essentials: These two-hour classes, priced at $165 per person, are designed for groups of up to four and cater to all skill levels.
- Milk steaming + latte art: Master the art of milk texturing in this hands-on, two-hour class — just $175 per person, with space for up to four participants.
- Roasting basics: In this class, up to six participants will learn the fundamentals of coffee roasting for $170 per person — and you’ll leave with a bag of freshly roasted coffee from the session.
- Coffee processing: Listen to a farmer from Colombia about the impact farmers have on the outcome of coffee production based on different techniques.
There are also mini learning sessions you can check out.
Hypergoat Coffee Roasters | Alexandria
- The Aeropress experience: Learn how to use this popular brewing tool, known for making a great cup of coffee in just two minutes. This 90-minute class is only $35 per person.
- Coffee tasting + brewing experience: This 90-minute class, where you begin by learning about the science of coffee brewing and then end with a hands-on experience where you can put your brewing skills to the test. It costs $45, but you’ll get a $10 gift card to Hypergoat to use afterwards.
- A guided monthly cupping: This one-hour class is just $10 and offers a guided introduction to smelling and tasting a variety of coffees.
- Coffee tasting: Learn about the three main aspects of coffee, flavor, body, and acidity, through a guided two-hour tasting. The class is for two hours and costs $40.
Cervantes Coffee Roasters | Springfield
- Advanced coffee cupping: Develop a basic understanding of coffee production and roasting before diving into the practice of coffee cupping. This class costs $80 for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Coffee brewing technique: Learn how to make coffee using the pour-over method, French press, and Aeropress for an $80 class.
- Coffee tour: Take a guided tour of the roastery and discover the origin stories behind different coffee beans — all for $80 per person.
- Handcrafted espresso preparation: This class, for $80 per person, will walk through the origins of the roasting process and learn how to use a variety of espresso equipment
- Introduction to coffee roasting: You’ll learn the key terms, measurements, and practices in this coffee roasting class for $125 per person.
- Milk steaming + latte preparation: Want to create beautiful, Instagram-worthy lattes? In this class, you’ll learn latte art techniques using both dairy and non-dairy milks — all for $100 per person.
