Located on Magazine Street, Current Crop has specialized in coffee classes for years, providing roast-to-order coffee beans, but they now have an exciting new offering: an espresso bar. They recently celebrated their three-year anniversary since their opening in March 2023.
Catherine Mansell, the director of product and programs, said the goal of Current Crop is “to have something for everybody. Everybody’s roast level preferences are incredibly different. So, the goal is to be able to figure out what you like.”
Current Crop is under the parent company Coffee Bean Corral, an online store based in Jackson, Mississippi, specializing in unroasted coffee. The team opened the shop as the first brick-and-mortar coffee education location, which now offers 70 different types of coffee.
“It’s not really [a place] where we’re just going to let you walk through and sort of look through 70. One of us is going to chat with you and find a good recommendation for you,” Mansell said.
With customer demand, Current Crop expanded its roast-to-order business for those who wanted to pick up or get their coffee shipped with their exact origin and roasting preferences. The most recent development has been the espresso bar, allowing those coming for a class or just wandering in to also grab a cup of coffee.
The coffee bar has a variety of espresso beverages and eight options for pour-overs priced from $6.50 to $8.50 for premium beans. They also offer staff-made creations such as their chocolate covered strawberry latte and the NOLA Humidity with lavender and vanilla.
I got a decaf espresso with the Bali Hai roast blend, a full city roast — between medium and dark — with notes of milk chocolate and powdered sugar. It was perfectly smooth with slight acidity and bitterness which balanced the drink without leaving a sharp aftertaste.
For their coffee classes, Current Crop has three main lessons: roasting, cupping and brewing methods.
The Introduction to Home Roasting class teaches you how to make light, medium and dark roasts, practicing each of these methods on coffee you get to take home. The Introduction to Coffee Cupping class goes over coffee tasting, distinguishing the flavor notes in different roasts and origins. The Beginner Brew Methods class teaches the different methods to brew coffee and gives a crash course on why your coffee at home might taste different than from a coffee shop’s. Different grind sizes, water amounts and temperatures can all dramatically change the taste of coffee. It costs $50 to attend each class.
Current Crop also offers more advanced classes focused on pairing for $60 each. The Coffee Cocktail Creation brings in an expert mixologist to help attendees understand coffee pairings and create their own signature coffee cocktail. They offer also classes on pastry and chocolate pairings, perfect for anyone looking to up their coffee game.
From the classes, coffee beans and roasting equipment to just a simple cup of coffee, Current Crop has something to offer to every coffee lover. I enjoyed the espresso and the bean selection and the friendly staff to help you pick things out. This is a great spot to get some education with your cup of joe.
In addition to the cost of the kind of coffee bean you choose, it costs $3 to roast a half pound and $5 to roast a pound. They offer a card to stamp every time you come in, and on your tenth visit, all your roasting is free. Current Crop also offers memberships for $10 a month. For 30 days, all your roasting is free — and you get 15% off classes, roasted coffee and roast to order. They also offer yearlong memberships for $100.