The term "third-wave coffee" is generally attributed to the coffee professional Trish Rothgeb, who used the term in a 2003 article, alluding to the
three waves of feminism. However, the specialty coffee broker and author, Timothy J. Castle, had already used the term in an article titled "Coffee's Third Wave" that he wrote for the December 1999 / January 2000 issue of the magazine
Tea & Coffee Asia. The first mention in the mainstream media was in 2005 in a
National Public Radio piece about barista competitions. In the first wave of coffee, coffee consumers generally did not differentiate by origin or beverage type.
Instant coffee, grocery store canned coffee, and
diner coffee were all hallmarks of first wave coffee. First wave coffee focuses on low price and consistent taste. The second wave of coffee began with purveyors like
Peet's Coffee & Tea of
Berkeley, California, which in the late 1960s began sourcing from artisanal producers, and roasting and blending with a focus on highlighting not only countries of origin, but also their signature dark roast profile. Peet's Coffee inspired the founders of
Starbucks of
Seattle, Washington. The second wave of coffee introduced the concept of different origin countries to coffee consumption, beyond a generic cup of coffee. Fueled in large part by market competition between
Colombian coffee producers and
coffee producers from Brazil through the 1960s, coffee roasters highlighted flavor characteristics that varied depending on what countries coffees came from. While certain origin countries grew to be prized among coffee enthusiasts and professionals, the world's production of high-altitude grown
arabica coffee, grown in countries within the
tropical zone, became sought after as each country had particular flavor profiles that were considered interesting and desirable. In addition to country of origin, the second wave of coffee introduced coffee-based beverages to the wider coffee-consuming world, particularly those traditional to
Italy made with
espresso. The first and second waves of coffee were characterized by at-home consumption. The first wave was pre-ground, vacuum-packed, mass-market cans from brands like
Folgers and
Maxwell House. The second wave offered consumers a fresh-roasted and bagged coffee purchased at a coffee shop like Starbucks or Peet's. Third-wave coffee is associated with the concept of
specialty coffee, referring either to specialty grades of green (raw and unroasted) coffee beans (distinct from commercial grade coffee), or specialty coffee beverages of high quality and craft.
United Kingdom In the late twentieth century, instant coffee dominated the UK market. and
James Hoffmann's third-wave roastery Square Mile opened in 2008. From 2007 to 2009, the
World Barista Championship was won by Londoners, starting with Hoffmann, and the 2010 edition of the competition was hosted in London. Hoffmann has since come to be regarded as a pioneer in the third-wave coffee movement in the UK, with
The Globe and Mail describing him as "the godfather of London's coffee revolution".
Australia The third wave of coffee has been popular in Australia.
Melbourne is known as the "capital of coffee" with its many cafes. Australians have won the
World Barista Championship three times in 2003, 2015, and 2022.{{Cite web ==Use of the term==