Burundi coffee features in North America cupping events this summer
Sherri Johns and Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian cupping 15 Burundi specialty coffees from JNP Coffee. Image: JNP Coffee
Two leading women in specialty coffee are bringing women-grown coffee – and the stories behind them – to a series of unique cupping events in multiple cities across North America this summer.
Specialty coffees from the tiny East African country, Burundi, will be showcased in a big way, with cuppings hosted by two coffee industry icons, Sherri Johns of Whole Cup Coffee Consulting, and Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian of JNP Coffee.
From San Diego to Montreal, Houston to Brooklyn and back, roasters and café owners will have the opportunity to cup 15 distinctive coffees sourced from the high-altitude coffee farms of Burundi, a country about the size of Maryland.
Coffee remains Americans’ preferred beverage, according to the National Coffee Association’s April 2023 findings, and a past-week survey found 52% enjoy a cup of specialty coffee, choosing lattes, espressos and cappuccinos above all other options. Coffee from Burundi is known for its juicy sweetness, with floral and fruit notes. Delicious as a pour over, it can even add the high notes for espresso.
Sherri Johns started her decades-long career in coffee as a barista in San Francisco. After winning the world’s first barista competition, she became a well-respected coffee educator, consultant and entrepreneur. Among many accomplishments, including owning her own café and opening cafés around the world, she led the judging at Cup of Excellence competitions (COE) from 2002-2017.
That’s how she first met Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian in Burundi, who was a member of the 2015 COE jury. Burundi-born and US-educated, Jeanine had founded JNP Coffee three years earlier after a 20-plus year career in telecommunications. She works directly with farmers in her native country to share best practices for high-quality coffee cultivation and specialty processing. JNP Coffee’s unique premium Dushime programme now supports 11,000 women coffee farmers and their families.
The Burundi on the Road show cities include New York, Toronto and Montreal, Houston, Kansas City, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. To learn more about these coffees and the women-owned businesses involved in the road show, visit jnpcoffee.com.
