Steep & Brew, a local coffee company, has been serving students at Truax, DTEC and West since August. Recently, Steep & Brew took it one step further.

Mark Ballering, Steep  & Brew owner, hosted what was billed as an ‘International Coffee Tasting’ at the administrative building at Truax. The coffee tasting was an event for the International Students Association, however, all students and faculty were invited.

International Coffee Tasting was an event for Steep & Brew to reach out and interact with students at Madison Area Technical College.

This was one of the first opportunities for the company to come to the college to interact with the students and for students to ask questions.

“It doesn’t happen very often,” Ballering said. “Sometimes in a large venue it’s hard to have everyone with a cup in hand at the same time.”

The event was a collaboration between the World Student Association and Steep & Brew. This was the association’s October “global gathering,” which is a series of monthly events the association holds on the first Thursday of every month throughout the school year. These events are discussions about culture and language.

The event started with a presentation from Ballering. He talked about the history of coffee and the process in which it is produced – from the moment the seeds are planted to the moment it’s distributed to supermarkets and cafes in the area.

From there, it became more of a social event with students receiving free samples of the different flavors of coffee that Steep & Brew provides. Ballering then spoke about the flavors of his coffee and the business involved with coffee.

Mellissa Amado, an assistant for the World Student Association, coordinated the event. She is also a major in Meeting and Event Planning.  Amado, a coffee lover for eight years, thought this event would be beneficial for both parties.

“We thought it would be a great way to help them get their name out,” Amado said.

Yubing Hou, an international student from China, is a member of the association as well. Hou promoted the event through Facebook and fliers throughout the school.

Hou believed an event like this was good for Steep & Brew by promoting their coffee, however, he also said that it was a valuable experience for the international students.

“It can help students build communication [skills] through talking with local people and businesses,” Hou said.

The International Students Association’s next Global Gathering is the Global Showcase on Nov. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mitby Theater.