Architecture of the Cup with Dara Santana

Sensory skills · Water · Brewing skills
12 Participants

We are thrilled to welcome Dara Santana to Durban to present this excellent course.

"My name is Dara. I chose to build my professional path from my background in Chemical Engineering, moving across different parts of the coffee value chain and working in quality, education, research, knowledge sharing, and market development. In simple terms, my work is about building bridges and acting as a facilitator between disciplines, people, and ideas."

Dara Santana, through her business, Dart Caffeine, brings together science and coffee through her background in Chemical Engineering and certifications including Q Grader, CVA, WCC Judge Skills Program, SCA Sensory and Brewing, among others. She specialises in water quality and sensory skills, two pillars she considers essential to understanding the coffee experience in the cup.

Her work focuses on education, research, and the development of projects connected to water and coffee, as well as creating resources and games that make learning approachable and accessible.

She has participated as both a SCA judge and coach and speaker on international stages and collaborates with brands that share her values, helping to connect and inspire coffee communities across Spain, Europe, Asia and Latin America. She is currently part of the Oatly Spain team and works alongside brands such as Orea and Sibarist  among others.

In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how the sensory architecture of a cup of coffee is built. If we think of extraction as the structure of a building, water becomes the interior design — the element that defines how flavours, balance and texture are perceived in the cup.

Through comparative tastings and guided exercises, participants will experience how different water compositions transform the same coffee. Each person will be able to explore and design their own interpretation of the cup, understanding how small decisions in water can deeply influence the final result.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

• The architecture of the cup: what makes up a cup of coffee?
• Describe the cup (practical)
• Water as a canvas (theory)
• Architecture in practice: comparative cupping
• Design your cup: paired exercise brewing filter coffee with different water compositions

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes