Banana Coffee, Asin Tibuok Lattes, and More: 5 Things I Discovered at This Coffee Festival

Whenever I go out with friends, I’m usually the one ordering something different. While everyone else reaches for matcha or another green drink, I stick to an iced Spanish latte or caramel macchiato. At home, my version of a café drink is a little less ambitious: just three-in-one coffee stirred into hot water. It works, but I’ve always wondered what goes into making a really good cup from scratch.

That curiosity brought me to KapeCon 2026 at Ayala Triangle Gardens on October 10 to 11. Over two days, I discovered inventive flavors, met people passionate about their craft, and learned that Filipino coffee has a story worth getting to know.

This year, KapeCon brought coffee lovers and matcha fans together, too. I was curious about the people behind both. I used to think matcha drinkers were the more playful, geeky crowd, while coffee people were reserved and quietly serious about their craft. The festival made me reconsider. Coffee people, it turns out, have plenty of enthusiasm to share. Here are five things I discovered as a coffee beginner.

1. Coffee has a much bigger flavor universe than you realize.

At KapeCon, coffee engaged more than just my taste buds. From the aroma of freshly ground beans to the sound of brewing equipment, every corner invited me to pay closer attention. What surprised me most was the creativity behind the drinks.

Who would have thought banana could work so well with iced coffee? I discovered this through Paul & Nigel’s Golden Banana Coffee. Then there was a latte infused with something as unexpected as patis, or fish sauce. Surprisingly, it worked. These drinks showed me how far coffee can go beyond familiar café flavors, especially when cafés are willing to experiment.

Coffee people, good discoveries, and a whole lot brewing at KapeCon | Photo: Luisa Bunquin2. You don’t need to know the lingo to feel at home in specialty coffee.

Before KapeCon, I imagined specialty coffee as a world of complicated brewing methods, technical terms, and people who could identify every flavor in a single sip. As a beginner, I wondered if I would feel out of place.

Instead, I found people happy to share what they knew. Almost every barista I met had a fun fact about the beans they were brewing or an explanation of what made their coffee special. Their enthusiasm made unfamiliar concepts feel approachable.

I also began to understand why coffee people can seem laid-back at first but become remarkably geeky once you ask about their craft. Behind a seemingly simple cup are details worth exploring, from where the beans come from to how they are prepared.

A closer look at some specialty beans worth exploring | Photo: Luisa Bunquin3. Great coffee starts long before it reaches your cup.

One of my most eye-opening discoveries at KapeCon was learning about the people who grow the beans behind our favorite drinks.

In conversations with Anatista Perez, farmer and founder of Don Narciso Cafe in Misamis Oriental, and Noemi Lardizal-Dado, co-owner of Agneo Heritage Farms, I began to see Filipino coffee from a different perspective. While the festival showed just how enthusiastic people are about coffee, their experiences revealed the challenges farmers continue to face.

They spoke about the need for better farming systems, fairer and more predictable prices, and training that helps farmers run sustainable businesses. Growing coffee is not simply a matter of planting trees and waiting for them to bear fruit. Farmers also have to consider their resources, processing methods, market opportunities, and the realities of climate change.

What struck me was the contrast between the excitement surrounding Filipino coffee and the work required to sustain the people who produce it. I had arrived thinking about the drink in my hand. I left thinking about the people whose livelihoods depend on every harvest.

Supporting local coffee, I learned, means appreciating more than the finished drink. It means recognizing the farmers and communities behind it, too.

4. Sometimes, the best coffee discoveries come from ordering the weirdest thing on the menu.

If there was one lesson I took away from KapeCon, it was this: sometimes you just have to be game to try something new.

I found myself looking beyond my usual iced Spanish latte and sampling combinations I might not normally order. The Golden Banana Sea Salt Latte from Pampanga’s Paul and Nigel Coffee and Cebu-based 621 Cafe’s Cloud Foam Latte with Asin Tibuok caught my attention. Both were delicious reminders that coffee can be playful, inventive, and full of surprises. And really, isn’t that half the fun?

5. A coffee festival offers more than drinks to try.

KapeCon was not just a place to grab a drink and move on to the next booth. From coffee beans and brewing equipment to merchandise, photobooths, claw machines, and raffles, there was plenty to explore, even for someone who had never brewed specialty coffee at home.

The KapeCon Lounge was another highlight. It offered a chance to learn more about Filipino coffee through conversations about local flavors, farmers’ experiences, and the craft behind every cup. It was a welcome reminder that there’s much more to coffee than what ends up in your mug.

What I appreciated most was how KapeCon brought together people at different stages of their coffee journey. Some were there to discover new beans and brewing techniques; others were already deeply involved in the industry. Everyone seemed to have something to share.

Even the rain couldn’t keep people away. When it poured, coffee lovers waited for it to ease before returning to the booths. It was a small but telling sign of how much people wanted to be there.

The festival also got me thinking about learning to brew coffee at home. I’m not quite ready to invest in a complete setup, but I’m now more curious about the beans, the brewing process, and the possibilities. Between the KapeCon Lounge, listening parties, and other coffee-focused activities, there was plenty to enjoy beyond the usual café visit.

I may still order my iced Spanish latte the next time I visit a café, and I’m not giving up my three-in-one just yet. But I might ask more questions, try something unfamiliar, or even attempt to brew my own cup.

I went to KapeCon thinking I needed to know more about coffee. I left realizing that I didn’t need to know everything to enjoy discovering it. And that’s a pretty good place to start