My welcome to Issue 6 of 25 is deservedly dominated by a note of celebration and sadness, paying respect to the extraordinary Erna Knutsen, a true innovator who passed recently.

ELIZABETH DOERR explores how the Dominican Republic’s largest coffee company seeks to change local coffee culture through baristas in Issue 06 of 25 Magazine.

HORTENSIA SOLIS interviewed three young Latin American coffee professionals from three different countries to better understand their perspective on the future of coffee production, the industry’s most pressing challenges, and the steps they’re taking to resolve or otherwise navigate them.

CARLOS HENRIQUE JORGE BRANDO traces the design changes that have brought water-saving demucilagers to the fore of a conversation about sustainability and coffee quality.

Coffee professionals are familiar with the importance of ratios: from brew ratios to espresso-to-milk ratios, we build our businesses around a series of proportions that help us achieve the best possible cup of coffee for our customers.

MARÍA ESTHER LÓPEZ-THOME shares her story in Issue 6 of 25 Magazine. All photos by Andres Anaya.

Despite Sicily’s profound traditional and cultural attachment to coffee, JENN RUGOLO has never harbored any expectation of finding the same concepts applied to coffee. An unexpected encounter – at a traditional bar in a tiny town in the south east of Sicily – made her question those expectations.

MICK WHEELER, past President and former Executive Director of SCAE, reflects on the early days of specialty coffee in Europe and the hurdles a nascent SCAE faced as it sought to build a community-focused organization across geographical and cultural borders.

HORTENSIA SOLIS ha entrevistado a tres jóvenes profesionales del café latinoamericanos de tres países diferentes para poder comprender un poco mejor su perspectiva sobre el futuro de la producción del café, los desafíos más apremiantes de la industria y los pasos que están dando para resolver o al menos afrontarlos.

It was with great sadness that we at the Specialty Coffee Association learned of the passing of Erna Knutsen.