精品咖啡（Specialty coffee ）這個很帥的字眼在臺灣我看就快要家喻戶曉了，走到哪裏掛著精品咖啡名號的咖啡館可是所在多有（當然vvcafe也掛著），但其實精品這個字義本身並不是那麼明確，所以大多數人還是沒辦法辨別是否有符合精品咖啡的精神，以下我們就來聊聊精品咖啡的定義。
以下是美國精品咖啡協會網站上對何謂精品咖啡（What is Specialty Coffee? ）的回答
Specialty coffee can consistently exist through the dedication of the people who have made it their life’s work to continually make quality their highest priority. This is not the work of only one person in the lifecycle of a coffee bean; specialty can only occur when all of those involved in the coffee value chain work in harmony and maintain a keen focus on standards and excellence from start to finish. This is no easy accomplishment, and yet because of these dedicated professionals, there are numerous specialty coffees available right now, across the globe, and likely right around the corner from you.
精品咖啡的永續發展必須透過一羣致力於維持高品質的人們的貢獻，並非只依賴咖啡豆生產流程上的某一人；
從開始到結束，生產鏈上所有的環節都必須通力合作、遵守規範並持續精進，才能造就精品咖啡。
這不是一個簡單的成就，因爲一羣專注的經營者，目前就有許多精品咖啡在世界各地開花結果，甚至就在你的身邊。
——
以前精品咖啡的目光有時聚焦於咖啡生豆的生產過程、有時聚焦於烘焙、有時在出杯
而目前
SCAA似乎打算告訴消費者其實真正送到你眼前的“精品咖啡”是每個環節的共同努力成果，這其實是相對中肯的定義，因爲任何一個環節出了差錯，眼前的精品咖啡可能就真的變難喝的爛咖啡。
而
SCAA又把生產流程中的重要角色也描述了一遍，讓我們繼續看下去：
——
Meet the people whose lifework is specialty coffee:
認識致力於精品咖啡的人們
精品咖啡定義
The farmer
Great coffee starts with the PRODUCER whose family likely has spent generations perfecting their approach to farming the highest quality coffee possible. Grown in select altitudes and climates and nursed for years before the first harvest, the producer who creates specialty coffee devotes his or her life to refining and perfecting the highest quality coffee on the planet. For them, it is quality not quantity that is the most important consideration. Only coffees free of defects and picked at their peak of ripeness will continue on to the next hands that will shape them. For the farmer, being able to connect with quality-minded buyers ensures a higher profit option which supports individuals, families and communities around the world.
農民
優質的咖啡肇始於幾個世代都竭盡全力種植出高品質咖啡的生產商，在第一次收穫前必須在嚴選的海拔和氣候帶上用心呵護好幾年，精品咖啡的生產商們奉獻了他或她的生活去改良出世界上品質最好的咖啡。
對於他們來說，品質纔是最重要的考慮因素，而非生產量。只有咖啡在無瑕疵且處於最成熟狀態的情況才能進到下一個生產流程。
對於農民，儘可能與優質而有良心的購買者交易才能獲得較高的利潤以支持他們個人、家庭以及社區的生活。
The Green Coffee Buyer
Green coffee is next transferred to the GREEN COFFEE BUYER who may be certified by the SCAA as a Certified Coffee Taster or the Coffee Quality Institute （CQI） as a Licensed Q Grader. They have a palate as distinguished as a sommelier and can keenly identify coffee quality via cupping, or systematic tasting of brewed coffees. Through cupping, the coffee taster can assess a coffee’s score and determine whether it is specialty grade quality, make decisions on which coffees they will include in their offerings, and often develop tasting notes and descriptions for the coffee on its final packaging. The green coffee buyer has a large role in communicating the information about a coffee to the roaster and café staff.
生豆商
接下來由生豆商接手這些生豆，有些生豆商經過SCAA的杯側師或咖啡品質學會（CQI）的咖啡品質鑑定師的認證。
他們專業的杯測人員能透過杯測以及系統性地衝煮咖啡，敏銳地分辨出咖啡的品質。
透過杯測，杯測人員將爲咖啡打分數並判斷哪些符合精選咖啡的品質要求，以決定收購的品項，他們也將分享他們的風味描述在商品包裝中。
生豆商提供了大量的資訊予咖啡烘焙者和咖啡從業人員。
緊接著來看看精品咖啡相關人員的下半部吧！！
The Roaster
High quality coffees are next transferred to the COFFEE ROASTER who may be certified by the Roasters Guild as having completed numerous hours of coursework and hands-on training to skillfully roast the specialty bean. Coffee roasting is an art that requires a high degree of knowledge and experience to produce specialty level roast profiles. Coffee must be closely monitored during the roasting process and scientific principles of heat transfer, thermodynamics and coffee chemistry must be applied to ensure the highest standard of quality and flavor come through in the final roasted bean.
烘焙師
高品質的咖啡接下來轉交到烘焙師的手裏，有些烘焙師受過美國烘焙師協會（RG）的認證，完成多時數的烘焙課程和實務操作培訓，以熟練地烘焙精品咖啡生豆。
咖啡烘焙是一門藝術，必須擁有豐富的知識和經驗，才能完成精品等級的咖啡烘焙。
咖啡在烘焙的過程中必須在符合傳導學、熱力學、化學的前期下進行密切監控，以確保最終烘培出來的咖啡豆擁有最高的品質和風味。
精品咖啡定義
The Barista
Once the specialty coffee beans reach the retail environment, they have already passed 3 levels of inspection to ensure an extremely high level of quality control, however the process in not yet complete. The BARISTA, who may be certified by the Barista Guild of America as having completed numerous hours of coursework and hands-on training, is the final coffee professional to guarantee the lifecycle of the specialty bean is completed. Specialty level Baristas are not only highly skilled in brewing equipment operations; they routinely are deeply informed as to the origin of the coffee bean and how it’s flavor profiles will be revealed in brewing . If the specialty bean is not brewed properly it is possible that its true flavor potential could be lost; the Barista ensures each bean reaches its full brewed promise.
咖啡師
一但精品咖啡豆到達零售通路，代表他們已經通過前三個階段高標準的品質控管，但還沒完成所有流程。
有些咖啡師受過美國咖啡師公會的認證，完成多時數的吧檯課程和實務操作培訓，以專業地完成精品咖啡豆生產環節的最後一個階段。
專業的咖啡師不光是嫺熟於操作咖啡衝煮設備，通常也深入瞭解咖啡豆的生產履歷，並能夠挖掘出隱藏在咖啡豆中的風味。
如果精品咖啡沒有被儘可能正確地萃取，可能會失去他真實的風味。咖啡師確保了每顆咖啡豆都能被完整的萃取。
The Comsumer
Not expecting to see yourself in this list? In fact, it is the CONSUMER who completes the lifecycle of the specialty coffee bean by actively seeking out and choosing specialty coffee options. When you take the time to find a local coffee bar or roastery that is dedicated to quality, or take an extra moment to learn from your barista about the people whose hands and passion produced the cup you’re enjoying so that you can make more informed choices, you demonstrate not only a commitment to a higher standard of quality of taste and flavor but also a commitment to a higher standard of living for every person who contributed along the way.
消費者
沒想到自己也是精品咖啡產業的一份子？事實上，正是消費者積極地尋找及選擇完成了精品咖啡的最終生產環節。
當您花時間去尋找當地優質的咖啡館或烘豆廠，更進一步地從咖啡師口中得知：享受一杯精品咖啡是靠著好多人的奉獻與熱情，就能讓你做出更聰明的選擇，你追求的不光只是咖啡品質和風味的最高標準，還有精品咖啡生產流程中每個角色的精益求精。
Sometimes called “gourmet" or “premium" coffee, specialty coffees are made from exceptional beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates.
They tend to feature distinctive flavors, which are shaped by the unique characteristics of the soil that produces them
精品咖啡也被稱爲珍味咖啡或珍貴咖啡，精品咖啡只能是生長在理想的種植環境中。
因爲種植在獨特的風土條件中，精品咖啡擁有特殊的風味。
娥娜。奴森（rna Knutsen
二、咖啡教母娥娜。奴森（Erna Knutsen）曾經提出過的定義
Special geographic microclimates produce beans with unique flavor profiles
特殊風土條件生產出具備獨特風味的咖啡豆
——
可以看出以上兩則是針對咖啡豆的生長環境和風味做出定義，並沒有延伸到其他部分。
反觀
SCAA精品咖啡最新的定義擴展到整個咖啡的生產流程中，從咖啡豆的種植、處理、生豆商、烘培師、咖啡師，甚至消費者也含進去了。
這一個環節超長且對品質要求高到有點誇張的定義，我是相當贊同，因爲他更忠實地反映了目前精品咖啡的現況。
當然臺灣是一個精品咖啡相對發達的地區，目前臺灣的大大小小烘焙師（包括咖啡館、烘焙廠、烘焙工作室、個人等），已經超過3000人，以臺灣的人口和麪積來說，高得離譜，順理成章成爲全世界自家烘焙率最高的地區。
精品咖啡定義
因此我們可能無法理解這個定義有什麼困難的，畢竟只要有心，要找一個莊園等級的咖啡館並不是很難。
可能只要開半小時車，各縣市都能找到一些爲精品咖啡耕耘的咖啡館，在一方自己的小天地，烘焙著coe的超高級豆，告訴你眼前這杯咖啡的偉大之處。
臺灣根本就是精品咖啡最棒的代言人嘛！！！！！完全符合定義
不過這並不是世界的常態，無論是喝咖啡歷史悠久的國家，他們可能大量喝著商業咖啡（就像臺灣人喝豆漿），從不覺得有必要去找更精品的咖啡；或是根本不太喝咖啡的國家，連要找間有莊園豆的咖啡館都找不到，當然更可能壓根就沒人想到要去找。
所以SCAA才用這樣的軟性訴求去告訴更多的人們，精品咖啡的真正價值：絕非遠離人羣，而是該從消費者反推到生產端，共同追求更高品質的精品咖啡。
