Counter Culture Coffee, a popular specialty coffee roaster based in Durham, N.C., runs training centers across the country where its experts teach wholesale customers, baristas, and restaurateurs everything they need to know about coffee: sourcing beans and brewing methods, and the lexicon to describe how coffee smells and tastes. The centers, including one in Somerville, had also hosted free coffee gatherings for coffee lovers on Friday mornings, but curtailed public events for nearly two years because of the pandemic. The company is now reviving their its community efforts and has launched a pop-up coffee shop on the last Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The next one is on Feb. 25. Billed as Shift Drink (a riff on the free drink restaurant workers often get after a long shift), the pay-what-you-want cafe includes Counter Culture’s single-origin beans or limited releases, espresso drinks, and a signature beverage each month. Proceeds will help a local charity. “Navigating this pandemic has been no easy task,” said Emily Davis, Counter Culture’s content and education director. “A pick-me-up is the least we can do to show our communities we’re here for them.” Registration for Shift Drink at the Boston training center in Somerville (374 Somerville Ave.) is encouraged but not required. For more information and to register, visit counterculturecoffee.com/learn/shift-drink.
ANN TRIEGER KURLAND