The Coffee Education Lab by Cafe Kreyol Returns with New Seminars

Get ready to taste, learn, and explore! The Coffee Education Lab by Cafe Kreyol returns November 15 & 16 at the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival. This year, enjoy an expanded lineup of interactive seminars—including more cupping sessions and a new deep dive into how altitude impacts the quality of coffee. Whether you’re new to the coffee scene, a seasoned barista, or eager to deepen your understanding, each seminar offers something valuable to learn. All seminars are free with your festival ticket and available on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday and Sunday Schedule:

10:30AM - Cupping Specialty Coffee Like a Professional

12:00PM - Life of a Coffee Hunter: Travelogue Through Unique Origins

1:20PM - Cupping Specialty Coffee Like a Professional

2:45PM - How Altitude Impacts the Quality of Coffee

Cupping Specialty Coffee Like a Professional

Saturday and Sunday at 10:30am and 1:20pm

Join Eric Girard and Brian Majewski of Cafe Kreyol as they guide you through the sensory world of professional coffee evaluation. With years of hands-on experience sourcing, roasting, and analyzing coffees from around the globe, they’ll teach you the art and science behind cupping—the very method industry experts use to judge quality. From assessing aroma to breaking down flavor profiles, you’ll develop the skills to taste coffee with clarity and confidence. This class offers not only practical training but also insight into the meticulous standards that Café Kreyol upholds in its pursuit of exceptional coffee. 

Life of a Coffee Hunter: Travelogue Through Unique Origins

Saturday and Sunday at 12:00pm

Step into the shoes of a coffee hunter with Joseph Stazzone, President of Café Kreyol, as your guide. Through captivating stories from his travels to remote farms and emerging origins, Joseph shares the challenges, discoveries, and cultural connections behind sourcing extraordinary coffees. This is more than a travelogue—it’s a firsthand look at the dedication and vision that drive Cafe Kreyol’s mission to bring distinctive, ethically sourced beans to market. You’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the global journey each cup takes before reaching your table. 

How Altitude Impacts the Quality of Coffee

Saturday and Sunday at 2:45pm

Altitude is one of the most influential factors in shaping a coffee’s flavor, sweetness, and complexity. In this session, Joseph Stazzone, President of Café Kreyol, unpacks the science and nuance behind why beans from higher elevations consistently stand out. Drawing on his extensive work at coffee origins across the Americas and Africa, Joseph brings a unique perspective that blends technical expertise with vivid storytelling. By the end of this class, you’ll not only understand how altitude influences what’s in your cup but also see how Cafe Kreyol’s commitment to sourcing from diverse terroirs ensures remarkable quality. 

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Meet The Speakers

Joey Stazzone is the owner of Café Kreyól, a coffee company built on principles of direct trade and sustainable development. Founded after a 2012 mission trip to Haiti, Café Kreyól focuses on improving the lives of farmers through fair and transparent partnerships—paying based on quality and creating sustainable jobs through specialty coffee. A licensed Q Grader since 2015 and CQI Educator since 2022, Joey has served on international juries for both the Bolivia Presidential Cup and Cup of Excellence competitions. His company was named 2023 Macro Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine. Today, he continues to consult with coffee producers around the world, leading experiments in fermentation, pH testing, and post-harvest processing to help farmers achieve their best results.

Eric Girard is the Director of Operations at Café Kreyól, where he oversees international green coffee purchasing and evaluates more than 100 coffees each week. Known for his precision in crafting roasting profiles, Eric’s expertise has helped Café Kreyól earn over fifteen 90+ Coffee Review scores and spots on the “Top 30 Coffees of the Year” list in both 2020 and 2021. His roasting earned a Silver Medal at the 2022 Golden Bean tournament, and he recently co-authored a scientific study on post-roast resting times and their effects on sensory evaluation.

Brian Majewski is the Quality Control Manager at Cafe Kreyol, where his rapid growth in the coffee industry reflects both skill and dedication. Although he has been a coffee professional for just four years, Brian became Head Roaster within his first year and held that position for three years before stepping into his current role overseeing quality control. A certified Cup of Excellence Judge, he is experienced in scoring and grading coffees under both CQI and COE protocols. Brian has also developed four proprietary grading and internal quality control forms that help maintain Cafe Kreyol’s commitment to excellence from crop to cup.  

Don’t miss your chance to explore the world of coffee with the experts from Café Kreyól! Check out the interactive floor plan and arrive early—these popular seminars fill up fast.

Click here to view the Interactive Floor Plan