Established in 2017, the Galway Barista School is an Independent School set up to facilitate Coffee Lovers at all levels. We are one of the leading institutes for barista training in Ireland.

We are a member of the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) and run SCA Introduction to Coffee and SCA Barista Foundation and SCA Barista Intermediate Courses. These courses are internationally recognised and students are awarded points towards the SCA Coffee Skills Diploma program.

We currently run One Day Barista Basics and Barista Workshops, suitable for students looking to get a Job in the industry, for people already working in a Cafe who would like to upgrade their skills or for people who just have a keen interest in coffee and want to learn more & have a fun day immersed in the World of Coffee. We also run Barista Intermediate & Latte Art for those looking to further their barista skills.

Ideally located in the centre of the West of Ireland, we are approximately an hour from Westport, Castlebar, Ballina, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Athlone, Limerick & Ennis.

If you’re a coffee lover then we’re not too far away.

Arabica Beans vs Robusta Beans

The coffee plant has two important species - Arabica and Robusta. Ok, but what's the difference?

Arabica beans tend to have a sweeter, softer taste, with tons of sugar, fruit and berries. Their acidity is higher with that winey taste, which characterises coffee with excellent acidity.

Robusta beans however, have a stronger and harsher taste, with a grain like overtone and pea nutty aftertaste. They contain twice as much caffeine as arabica beans and they are generally considered to be of inferior quality.

What is speciality coffee?

Speciality coffee refers to the whole process from farmer to cup using single origin coffee. It refers to the way the coffee is grown and roasted and how it is extracted at coffee shops. According to the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA), coffee which scores 80 points or above on a 100 point scale, is graded as speciality.

Why is there acidity in coffee?

All of our coffees are roasted to give you something to soak in and think about. While roasting we can't add or take awat from coffee. Roasting has a sole purpose of letting the (high quality) coffee bean shine, portraying it's origin, soil, harvest, fermentation and drying process. Once you taste the espresso, give it time, let it cool down a bit and peel off the taste layers. Most people focus on acidity for the plain reason of expecting an espresso to be hot, burnt, oily or bitter. However, there is a huge difference between acidity and sourness. Acidity is natural to fruit, and coffee is a fruit. When you taste an apple, you have an expectation of it's taste. For example, a green apple will give you a different expectation than a red apple. But both of those have the acidity in their bite. The difference is you are used to it and your palette extracts the sweetness you have expected, disregarding the crisp acidity that gives it structure.

With speciality coffee, people often let acidity take over and build a wall in front of it. But trust us, there is a world of taste behind that wall.