The first time someone explained coffee fermentation to me, I nodded politely in the way people do when they absolutely do not understand what’s happening but would still like to appear employable in a specialty coffee setting.

There are times when you have those big plans, the ones that require you to be wide awake and ready to go, and you think coffee is just the little treat you need. You order, you drink, you enjoy, you wait, anticipating the subtle alertness that is sure to come. And nothing. You drink your coffee, and not only do you not feel energized, but you still feel sleepy. So what happened?

Just like any other fruit, coffee is seasonal. There are portions of the year that coffee is being cultivated and another portion when coffee cherries are ripe for picking. Lucky for us, coffee is grown in many different countries around the world. Each country has a different harvest season, with some countries having multiple harvests per year.