If you’ve been sucking down your daily flat white, you might be unaware of a revolution that’s happening under your espresso-infused feet – a growing movement of coffee aficionados dumping their milky froth in favour of pure darkness.

They’ll tell you that black coffee gives you a much fuller expression of the fruit and acid characters of those fair trade, organic, single origin and curated blends you pony up for. Milk makes everything smooth, but it does away with all the subtleties – kind of like a Victoria Beckam facelift.

To demonstrate the beauty of all things café noir, the Black Coffee pop-up is coming to Surry Hills’ Outre Gallery, that pop temple of Shag illustrations and artisan tiki mugs. It’ll be Sydney’s first appearance of the Melbourne-bred concept, which recently brewed at Fitzroy’s Workers Club and the Independent Photography Festival.

The concept’s by Seven Seeds barista Mark Free, who created the idea “by accident” when he invited friends over one public holiday and didn’t have an espresso machine, so he whipped up alternative brews, with milk and sugar verboten. “So much goes into the quality of coffee that I’m using, then for people to add milk and sugar is just putting all of that to waste,” he says. “It’s like adding milk or sugar to a fine wine.”

Expect to find pour-overs, siphon and Aeropress, with beans ranging from Reuben Hills to Market Lane, Seven Seeds and Small Batch Roasters. Free says he might also whip out something else for fun: maybe a cold press, old-school cloth filter woodneck or a cascara: a tea made from dried coffee fruit. The goal? To demystify coffee brewing and put the power back in the hands of home coffee brewers.

The cost of such coffee dedication is, well… you decide. It’s by donation, but we’d recommend a couple of gold coins, lest you look like some tight arse bean counter.

Where: Outre Gallery, 285A Crown St, Surry Hills
When: 19-22 Apr
Price: By donation only
Phone: (02) 9332 2776
Details: blackcoffeeshop.tumblr.com