Just over five years ago I learned that Turkey would be hosting a Q grading course for the first time, and that it just so happened that it was going to be the week after I already was going to be
Tag: Turkey
Coffee in a Time of Corona Virus: Cup of Joy Opens New Istanbul Café
Istanbul, like much of the world, has spent the last three months locked down due to COVID-19. Coffee shops, along with bars and gyms, were some of the first businesses to be shut down by the gover
Montag Coffee Roasters Opens in Bomonti, Istanbul
“Good coffees is worth the stairs.” That’s the motto that’s helped make Montag Coffee Roasters a fixture of the coffee scene in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district. The orig
Coffee Department Opens New Cafe in Nişantaşı
I’ve longed bemoaned the fact most tourists visiting Istanbul don’t make it to Balat, the old Jewish quarter. In addition to its colorful row houses and historic synagogues, Balat is ho
A Look Inside Petra Coffee’s Gayrettepe Headquarters
Three flat screen televisions are showing The Wizard of Oz on mute while loud speakers blast classic 50s rock and roll. In the background, a dull screeching sound, accompanied by the immediately re
Cafe Review: Norm Coffee in Istanbul
Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk wrote in his memoir, Istanbul: Memories and the City, “it was in Cihangir (where we too would move as our fortunes dwindled) that I first learned Ist
Meet Reza Kosar, Iran’s First Q Grader
Recently, I traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to take the Q Grader Exam. I expected to be challenged in my coffee knowledge and abilities as well as make a few new friends in the Turkish coffee scene.
Geyik Coffee Roastery & Cocktail Bar Makes Waves in Istanbul
It’s a quiet morning in Istanbul’s Cihangir neighborhood, and Serkan Ipekli is tired. The 2013 Turkish Barista Champion is fighting an ear infection, but he’s also experiencing th
Cup of Joy in Istanbul Looks Heavenly in this New Video
In the past two years the specialty coffee scene in Istanbul has exploded. We covered one of the first quality focused cafes that opened in Turkey’s largest city, and we’re beyond exci
Turkish Delight: Çekirdek Cafe Opens in Istanbul, Turkey
Brief History of Turkish Coffee If you had a cup of coffee this morning, you can thank the Turks. Coffee came to the West through Turkey as the Ottoman Empire expanded into the European continent.�