DAILY
DEVOTIONS

A.K.A. BREW GUIDES

👁 The Divine Details

Origin
Where on this spinning ball of chaos the coffee was first planted and harvested. “Origin” usually means the country (and sometimes sub-region) where the coffee was grown. Different origins bring different natural flavor tendencies—think fruit-forward Ethiopians, nutty chocolatey Brazils, or spice & citrusy Central Americans.
Region
If Origin is the country, Region is the neighborhood of the farm’s soul. This might be a specific province, valley, or famous growing area. Region tells you more about the micro-climate, soil, and traditions that shape the cup.
Process
This is how the cherry was handled after picking—how the bean went from fruit to something we can roast and drink. Washed, natural, honey, experimental fermentations… each process changes how much fruit, funk, clarity, or sweetness shows up in the cup.
Variety
The coffee tree’s family lineage—its holy coffee DNA. Just like apples have Honeycrisp and Fuji, coffee has varieties like Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, SL28. Variety affects sweetness, complexity, aroma, and how the coffee grows.
Altitude
How close this coffee got to heaven before we roasted it. Higher altitudes usually mean slower cherry ripening, denser beans, and more layered flavors. Lower altitudes tend to be rounder, nuttier, more chocolatey.
Roast Level
How much we turned up the divine fire on the beans. Lighter roasts keep more origin character, medium balances sweetness and body, darker roasts lean into bold, roasty, smoky notes.
Flavor Notes
Not syrups or additives—just our best attempt to describe what we taste in the cup, like dark chocolate, blackberry, or brown sugar. They’re tasting notes, not ingredients, meant to guide your expectations and help you learn what you like.

🕯️ The Sensory Sacraments

Body
How thick or thin the coffee feels in your mouth. Light body is more tea-like and delicate; full body is heavier, creamy, and coating. It’s all about texture and weight, not flavor itself.
Acidity
The brightness or sparkle in the cup—not stomach acid. High acidity coffees are lively and juicy, like citrus or fresh berries. Lower acidity coffees feel smoother, rounder, and more chocolatey.
Sweetness
How much natural sugar and pleasant sweetness you can taste, even without adding anything. Higher sweetness shows up as honey, caramel, ripe fruit, or chocolate notes.
Balance
How well all the elements—body, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, finish—play together. A highly balanced coffee feels cohesive and harmonious, without one thing shouting over the rest.
Finish
What happens after you swallow—how long the flavor lingers and what it turns into. A long finish means the coffee keeps talking to you; a short finish appears and disappears quickly.
Complexity
How many layers and changing flavors are happening as you sip. Simple coffees do a few things really well; complex coffees shift and evolve, showing fruit, florals, spice, sweetness, and more over time.

Sacred coffee brewing tips

STORAGE: First and foremost, you need a sacristy. Or, you know, a regular kitchen cabinet. Store your sacred coffee in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. Once the coffee bag is open, keep it as sealed and airtight as possible. Coffee de-gasses and loses its divine freshness around 30-60 days after opening, so don’t save it for Sunday morning worship only!

GRINDER: A good grinder makes all the difference. Burr grinders will be the most consistent in grind particle size, but if you got a classic ol’ spice blade type grinder, work with what ya got!

WATER: Clean water is crucial! Purified, spring, etc.. anything but tap, as those delicious flavors will get muted. If you’re using a pour-over, ensure you use hot water between 195-200°F. If you don't have a thermometer, set your water to a near-boil, then wait for the rolling bubbles to settle (about 30 seconds).

BREWING: Use a ratio between 16:1 and 18:1 (water to coffee). If you do not have a scale to be precise with grams (contrary to our prodigal ways in the U.S.) then use 2 level TBSP to every 6 fl oz of water.

Suggested Brewing videos from holy coffee saints

These are a few of our suggested brewing guides by folks we regard highly in the industry. We recommend you go give them a follow if you want to take your coffee skills to the next level!

Drip Machine

James Hoffmann, Coffee saint, gives a full explanation of how to brew good coffee on that home drip machine of yours.

French press

The European Coffee Trip team joined Barista Champion Gwilym Davies on how to make a great French Press.

V60

Another video of James Hoffmann where he teaches us the ultimate method for brewing with a V60 manual pour over.

CHEMEX

Lance Hedrick walks you through some solid tips and tricks to ensure it's the best possible brew from this classic device.

Coming soon

More in-depth devotions coming your way soon. Stay tuned!