Visiting from Lima, Peru, AJ & Felipe are the founders of El Cacaotal - Ciclos Café in Lima. Their space is dedicated to showcasing the biodiversity of the coffee and cacao that grows in Peru, and the stories of the producers behind each cup of coffee or chocolate bar.

AJ, anthropologist and certified cacao and chocolate taster, has been working with these Peruvian treasures for 10 years. After studying the articulation of small-scale cacao and chocolate producers for her Masters research, she founded El Cacaotal as an edible library of Peruvian craft chocolate. AJ curates this collection of 18 different chocolate brands emphasizing their bean-to-bar and, excitingly, tree-to-bar processes.

Felipe, agronomer and certified Q-arabica grader, spent 2 years working on coffee farms with producers looking to level-up their post-harvest practices. Drawing on this farm experiences, he began studying coffee roasting and beverage preparation. Today, he is the mastermind behind Ciclos Café, specialty coffee shop and roastery that won recognition as the Best Specialty Coffee Shop in Lima.

Since 2019, AJ and Felipe have been designing chocolate and coffee pairings that create new, unique sets of sensory experiences. They have presented these tastings in diverse venues around the world: From their neighbors at the second best restaurant in the world, Central, to the south in Chile at the acclaimed Viña Vik, and to just around the corner at Harvard and Boston Universities. A year ago, they took their experiences one step further by incorporating the natural wines from one of Peru’s most up-and-coming bodegas, Bodega Murga. The result? Come taste for yourself!

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DATE: Thursday 6/1/23

TIME: 6-7pm

TICKETS INCLUDE: one-hour class + 3 tasting pours + chocolate

*NOTE: This is a one-hour class, held indoors at Wild Child.