For a coffee addict, my knowledge about coffee is limited to that of an amateur. My love for coffee started out early in my childhood with a packet of Nescafe instant coffee. My parents weren’t strict about us kids drinking coffee, and I usually had mine with powdered milk (Bear Brand) and a lot of sugar. Until now, that is a taste of coffee that I will always find nostalgic and homey.

Fast forward more than a decade later, my love for coffee has stayed the same, but my taste for it has somehow elevated. I cannot survive a day without coffee. But, I no longer drink powdered coffee (unless I’m at home in Cebu, or there’s really no other option). I buy and use ground coffee beans from the grocery store, switching it up to different styles/flavors each time I run out. When my coffee-maker broke down, I tried experimenting with Vietnamese coffee drip, until I switched to Japanese-style pour-over. However, real coffee experts would be appalled by the way I do my pour-over coffee because I don’t have any science or measurements behind it.

According to their Facebook page:

Thirdswell is an Australian-inspired coffee brewery infused with our passion for travel and adventure. It’s dedicated to educating new and existing coffee drinkers that a world of flavor, style and innovation exists beyond just black and white.

This is exactly what I experienced when I visited their pop-up coffee booth at SM Aura in BGC. If you are a newbie, they take time to explain to you the differences between different styles and flavors of coffee so that you can select your preference in an informed manner. With that one visit, I learned the difference between espresso-style and pour-over, as well as the beans used for both of them (yes, there is a proper type of bean for each style). They also teach you about the ratio of bean to water, as well as the exact temperature of the water especially for pour-over coffee. And when that coffee hits your taste buds – wow, coffee couldn’t taste any better! I guess the knowledge about how the coffee you’re drinking came into existence also adds to the flavor and the experience as a whole.

I ordered the pour-over Ethiopian Guji Gigesa and I wondered why my pour-over coffee at home does not taste like this at all! The flavor, the temperature, the acidity – everything just fell into place. My coffee at home is bitter, too hot, and never consistent. Haha!

Normally, you’d have to go all the way to Baler for their coffee, but they’re here for a limited time in the metro! You can find them at the 2nd floor of SM Aura in BGC, Taguig – inside a store called Frankie and Friends (beside Cotton On). I believe they will be there until February – so when you’re in the area, I recommend you drop by for a visit and have a unique coffee experience! I’m sure you won’t regret it!