COFFEE
How Amsterdam emerged on the European coffee scene What’s brewing in Amsterdam? Something fresh, bold and exciting. It seems Amsterdammers are finally waking up and smelling the coffee. Words by SARAH NAPIER & GLYNIS KROMOPAWIRO
Only one nation in the world averages more than two
Local coffee entrepreneurs unanimously give props to
cups of coffee per person per day: the Netherlands.
larger establishments for kick-starting the movement
According to a survey published by The Atlantic in
as early as 1996, and for constantly diversifying to
2014, the Dutch consume more coffee than the United
keep up with current trends. Nicolas Castagno, award-
States, United Kingdom, Spain and France combined.
winning barista at Scandinavian Embassy, points out that “it’s often the ‘rebellious children’ of those big
Dutch coffee must be good then, right? Not if you asked
establishments who become the new kids on the block,
caffeine-seeking expats and self-proclaimed coffee snobs
exploding the scene with their small cafés, big ideas
in Amsterdam…until recently. Previously known for
and passionate spirits.”
prizing quantity over quality, Amsterdam has well and truly arrived on the third wave coffee scene. The city now
Two of those rebels went on to establish Headfirst
boasts an expanding list of excellent cafés and roasteries
Coffee Roasters, the revered and now, sadly, closed
treating locals to some fantastic specialty coffee.
coffee bar and roastery. I can assure you the closure had nothing to do with the quality of their coffee or a lack of
Amsterdam’s scene is relatively new when compared
popularity, but boy, was it great while it lasted. Jonatan
to strongholds of the specialty coffee movement such
Scheeper and Lex Wenneker both started out at one of
as Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Canada and
those early adapters. “Places like Espressofabriek and
the US. Lot Sixty One’s Adam Craig, however, finds
Screaming Beans started the specialty coffee scene here
Amsterdam “a whole different ball game” compared to
in Amsterdam. But in my opinion the Coffee Company
where he used to run his coffee business: New York City.
was really important for the growth of the scene,” says Jonatan.
There, “you’ve got office buildings everywhere. I think I had more people living above my shop than I have in this whole
Jonatan now works for Single Estate Coffee Roasters
neighborhood,” says Adam, pointing to the surroundings
as a roaster and barista trainer, while Lex was recently
of his Kinkerstraat shop. The amount of coffee he sells in
crowned Dutch Barista Champion 2016 for the second
Amsterdam is much lower than the hundred or more kilos
year running. These boys will be featuring on the
he could sell in one Big Apple week. “But I enjoy it a bit
Amsterdam coffee circuit for a while to come.
more here, I get to be closer to the product, the craft.”
AMSTERDAM
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