Let's all welcome 2018 with open arms. Some folks gave feedback that our journal entry yesterday was too serious to end the year so we're making this list of predictions lighthearted and fun, kinda. Some might happen and most will probably fall flat on their face. Let's see how the year goes. Without further ado, here's eighteen of our predictions for Specialty Coffee in 2018:

1. Roasters and manufactures will show more interest in the home brewer market.
2. There will be lesser of this scenario happening - baristas leaving companies 'to do their own thing.'
3. Three new international coffee players will land in the shores of Manila.
4. Japan's coffee scene will slowly infiltrate or influence other markets the way Melbourne's cafe model did.
5. Local demand for non-dairy alternatives will see a spike. Expect to top-up your already expensive flat white with another P20-P30.
6. We will see a dip in consumer interest in Nitro Coffee, but an increase in Nitro (fill in the blank).
7. Asia will take back the crown for the World's best barista.
8. The World Barista Champion will win using a Geisha, despite everyone's resistance to compete with the said varietal.
9. Specialty coffee made at home will be simpler, fuss-free. How? Let's wait and see.
10. Another acquisition or merger will shock the Specialty Coffee world.
11. Tasting notes on coffee bags will sound less like poetry or maybe even disappear.
12. The Cebu scene will see interesting developments in Specialty Coffee but still with a price ceiling that consumers are willing to pay.
13. Ordering coffee from different parts of the world will be come increasingly cheaper and more accessible.
14. The first winner of the Philippine Coffee in Good Spirits Championship will come from a non-coffee focused company.
15. Specialty Coffee bars and cafes to incorporate more syrups and whipped cream into their menu.
16. The Barista Hustle education platform will grab some market share from other coffee certification programs and masterclasses by coffee experts/consultants.
17. Scales will start to disappear from the bar counter and proprietors will start investing in weight-based machines and grinders.
18. Enamel pins will become part of every coffee company's merchandise inventory.

Fin.