Ian Nelson, Quality Control and Green Coffee Buyer, DOMA Coffee

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Title: Quality Control, Green Coffee Buyer, and musician
Company: DOMA Coffee
Location: Post Falls, ID
Find online: https://www.domacoffee.com/ • https://kadabraband.bandcamp.com/music

We've had a lot of guests on the Coffee People podcast (formerly Roast! West Coast). Being able to catch up with some of them again and again is a real treat. This week we traveled to Post Falls, ID to chat with Ian Nelson of DOMA Coffee. His first visit to the podcast occurred right after he completed his Q-grader certification. During that chat, we discussed how intense the process was, how challenging the testing was, and the value of a communal coffee language.

This time, we touch on what the changes to the Q-grader programs mean for those who've already achieved the original version, how it is good, bad, or other, and catch up on Ian's pursuits in music. Surprisingly, we learn that on his drive into work, he rolls in silence.

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TAPPING THE GLASS

When I drink a coffee, whiskey, pint, or even a water with friends, we inevitably clink glasses in a cheers. Afterward, I tap my glass on the table before I take a sip. Even more than that, I'm left with an unexplainable anxiety if the person whose glass clinked with mine doesn't tap the base of their glass on something. I don't know how long I've been doing this or how I got started. I just know that it is a crucial component of the experience for me.

Somewhere along the line, I learned that tapping the glass was a way to rid the glass and our toast of any evil spirits that may be lingering in the fine liquid we're imbibing. An overlapping emotion is that it is a sign of respect for the drink. I'm not particularly superstitious, and my compulsion to tap could be the result of internal anxiety, sure, but I've come across enough other people doing the same to know it isn't just me.

A quick search took me to Wineshop.it, which provided a list of reasons people tap the glass:

• As a sign of respect to the innkeeper and those who contributed to the production of the drink, often wine, as occurred in Italian taverns 400 years ago.
• To drive away evil spirits. The tap would create a noise to scare off those pesky shadows. Wineshop attributes this to the Irish.
• To toast those who are not physically present—either in another place on Earth...or beyond.
• And to remember someone who has passed away. It isn't pouring some out for those we've lost, but rather a cleaner, less wasteful alternative.
  • I've also learned this as a way of knocking on the door to the other side, so to speak.

Whatever the reason, clinking glasses and tapping on the table are one more way we enhance our rituals. The communal understanding is that we're in this together—for a sip or a pot of good coffee.

OTHER TAKEAWAYS FROM THE POD

• Sensible shoes. They really become a thing the older you get. I'll always be partial to my Chucks. They provide me with more than just footwear. They are part of my identity. They were a choice I made and committed to at a young age. I recognize myself when I'm wearing them. Fashion is an integral part of identity, however casual.
  
  That said...
  
  The joints don't gain cushioning as you age.
• In Ian's opinion, the Q-grader changes are a mixed bag. The Coffee Valuation Assessment (CVA) is more inviting, more inclusive, and more customer-focused. That is a good thing, but sacrificed was some of the value of the Q-grader title and the efforts by past recipients of the title. There have been some hurt feelings.
  
  Any changes to the common language the Q provided will create friction. If not now, down the line, as the new process will create a new population of coffee industry professionals who may not be versed in quite the same way as has been the case for some time.
• Evan Gilman is a legend. He is also a Q Arabica instructor and the Creative Director at Royal Coffee, Inc.
• Growth is important, but it can become a challenge to grow while maintaining focus on the thing that you love to do.
• Fun is an important component of work.
  • Fun is not the only component of work.
• Funk Coffee in Vancouver really does have cool artwork.

• R Day is coming. See Ian's band Kadabra on the main stage during Rainier Beer's annual thank you to beer drinkers.

THE ORIGINAL INTERVIEW WITH IAN NELSON

ROASTAR

If you are in LA, or headed there, for CoffeeFest this weekend go see our friend and regular coffee collaborator Nick Schmitt. He'll be on panels and at the Roastar booth putting out the vibe.

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