Archives for July 2016

Cafe Review: Scandinavian Embassy in Amsterdam

July 28, 2016 By Michael 2 Comments

Embassies exist not only for foreign governments to accomplish their political agendas, but also for the free exchange of cultural customs and values. In that sense, Amsterdam’s Scandinavian Embassy is very appropriately named. The Nordic countries have long been a pace-setter in the specialty coffee industry and this café serves as a satellite of Scandinavian coffee culture. Featuring an array of Nordic-roasted coffees and innovative food pairings, Scandinavian Embassy is one of the more intriguing cafés in a booming Amsterdam coffee scene. …

Narrative Coffee Pops Up in Everett, Washington

July 18, 2016 By Michael 1 Comment

I grew up in a small town. No stop light, no local government other than Highway Patrol, but it had a small coffee shop, which is where I pulled my first shot of espresso. As such, few things excite me more than hearing about quality coffee shops popping up in unlikely locations. I first became aware of Maxwell Mooney through his incredible latte art pictures on social media. Later, I met him in person on the barista competition circuit. Even in the context of a competition he’s the afffable sort of barista that makes a lot of friends. When I heard Maxwell was opening his own shop I wasn’t surprised, but I was excited. I also knew I wanted to know more. So I caught up with Maxwell and asked him a few questions about Narrative Coffee, the newest place to get coffee in Everett, Washington.

Tell us about Narrative Coffee. Is it a café? A pop-up?

Narrative Coffee is currently living as an outdoor pop-up coffee bar in the downtown core of a small city called Everett, WA. I’ve been pursuing a proper brick-and-mortar location, but I don’t want to land just anywhere. The opportunity came up to post up in a busy city park that functions as the courtyard of the Everett Performing Arts Center and that seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up, so here we are!

What’s the significance of the name?

Before I worked in coffee, I was a serious home coffee enthusiast. Forums, espresso machines, restorations, home roasting, you know, the whole deal. Like many home roasters, I had friends reach out to me and ask if they could purchase coffee from me. …

Café Review: Ceremony Coffee in Baltimore

July 11, 2016 By Michael 2 Comments

In Ethiopian culture, guests aren’t simply served a cup of coffee, they are invited to participate in a coffee ceremony. The host will patiently roast, grind, and brew their guest coffee in a ritual that’s practically sacred. This tradition is the inspiration behind Maryland’s Ceremony Coffee Roasters. The Annapolis-based roaster has quietly accumulated a list of accolades and awards that is nothing short of world class, but perhaps none as impressive as their Baltimore coffeehouse. …

Jubala Coffee Opens Cutting Edge Second Location

July 5, 2016 By Michael Leave a Comment

Five years ago Jubala Coffee introduced Raleigh’s northern suburbs to specialty coffee. Thanks to a thoughtful array of hand-brewed single origin coffees, lattes flavored with house-made syrups, and southern-style biscuits, Jubala earned a loyal clientele that otherwise would be unfamiliar with third-wave coffee. The shop even draws a steady flow of urbanites willing to make the trek to the ‘burbs for a proper shot of espresso. With such a dedicated following perhaps it was inevitable that Jubala would expand to a second location. But rather than setting up shop in another upscale shopping center, Jubala took an opportunity to help revitalize Hillsborough St., the long-neglected thoroughfare that runs along NC State’s campus. Instead of duplicating their proven formula, owner Andrew Cash has chosen to blaze new trails once again….