third-wave coffee
/θɜːrd weɪv ˈkɒfi/
CommonA movement treating coffee as an artisan product, focusing on origin, processing, and roasting quality rather than just caffeine delivery.
The term is used both sincerely by coffee professionals and mockingly by people who find the culture precious or pretentious.
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | this neighborhood went third-wave coffee so fast. four new roasters in two years | Specialty artisan coffee shops have rapidly taken over an area. | x, 2023 |
| 02 | my girlfriend works at a third-wave coffee shop and now i know way too much about processing methods | Through proximity, the person absorbed specialty coffee knowledge they did not seek out. | |
| 03 | third-wave coffee really said what if we charged $14 for a cup and made you feel uncultured for asking what it tastes like | Mocking the pretentiousness and high prices sometimes associated with specialty coffee culture. | tiktok, 2024 |
Use it when
- Describing the artisan coffee movement and its culture.
- Talking about coffee shops that focus on origin stories and brew method.
- Discussing the shift from commodity coffee to craft coffee.
- Gently mocking someone who is very serious about their coffee.
Do not use it when
- You just mean any good or expensive coffee.Use “specialty coffee” instead.
Third-wave coffee vs specialty coffee
third-wave coffee
Third-wave coffee refers to the cultural movement and philosophy around treating coffee as an artisan craft.
specialty-coffee
Specialty coffee is the product category: beans scoring 80 or above, regardless of the cultural context.
Origin and context
The term was popularized by coffee writer and professional Trish Rothgeb in a 2002 Roasters Guild newsletter. It followed first-wave (commodity, canned coffee) and second-wave (Starbucks-style espresso drinks). The movement gained mainstream recognition through the 2000s and 2010s.
- First seen
- 2002
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/third-wave-coffee