First coffee farms in continental U.S. taking root in San Diego

Ever wonder what Southern California would taste like in a coffee cup?

Fifty local java-lovers were the first locals to find out this past weekend in private “cupping” sessions of the first-ever locally-grown coffee at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in Mission Valley. 

“I tasted nougat, maple syrup, burned butter and tobacco,” said Alex Stabrawa, a Clairemont resident who shares her java passion on her Instagram page @Coffeeandvegan. Ernst Kneubühler, a barista and coffee machine technician vacationing from Switzerland, said he detected notes of vanilla and citrus and a pleasant finish of chocolate powder “that stayed with me for a while.”

They each paid $125 for the first hour-long cupping session on Saturday, which included the tasting experience and a tiny, take-home 40-gram tub of Cuicateco beans from Frinj Coffee.

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First coffee farms in continental U.S. taking root in San Diego