However you take it: Coffee culture is thriving in New Orleans (photo: Mojo Coffee)
Brewed Awakening: The Rise and Rise of Coffee Culture in New Orleans
by Marielle Songy
It's no secret that Seattle is the United States city most associated with coffee. That Starbucks of theirs has really made a name for itself, and, yes, their specialty coffee scene is pretty good. But please allow me to present New Orleans as a major American coffee city as well. Not only does the Port of New Orleans import most of the country's coffee (we're neck and neck with New York on that one thanks to our buddy Folgers, who do all of their coffee business here), but this is a city built on coffee.
Since the 18th century, New Orleanians have taken pride in their coffee consumption and traditions (coffee with chicory, anyone?). One of the most famous businesses in New Orleans, Café du Monde, is known for its café au lait, after all. National Coffee Day is September 29, and there are plenty of events planned around the big day, and ways to learn much more about coffee if you want to venture beyond your daily iced latte. Here's a round-up of caffeine-focused culture in New Orleans:
NOLA Coffee Festival
Morial Convention Center
This festival takes place at the Convention Center on September 27th and 28th, and is perfect for coffee pros and novices alike. For $20 a day, you can attend coffee education classes led by coffee professionals and sample different types of coffee from New Orleans’ roasters. The festival also features a barista competition. This is a great place to start if you want to learn more about coffee. If you are a coffee fanatic, the festival is also the perfect place to stock up on beans you've always wanted to try. I went last year, and I had such a wonderful time. People in the coffee industry are friendly, passionate about their work, and love sharing their knowledge.
Tickets and information
Current Crop Roasting Shop
3931 Magazine St.
Current Crop Roasting Shop is a coffee hub where you can buy exotic coffee beans and learn to roast them yourself. The store isn't so much a coffee shop but a coffee education hub. Here, you can take coffee roasting and cupping classes from expert Catherine Mansell and learn what kind of coffee appeals to your palette. The cupping classes are enjoyable because Catherine explains how to use the coffee taster's flavor wheel to discern the different flavors hidden in your coffee, like fruits and florals. Take a few classes, and you'll be a coffee expert in no time.
Schedule and further information
Coffee 101 at Cherry Coffee Roasters
401 Lafayette St., Gretna
On October 19th at 12.30pm, the coffee shop will host a coffee education class. Coffee 101 is a journey into the world of specialty coffee. Learn what specialty coffee is, what the information on the bag means to you, how coffee gets from a seed to your cup, the basics to level up your home coffee game, and much more. The $50 class includes a lecture, an interactive coffee tasting, a Q&A with Cherry’s roaster, and a complimentary bag of coffee to take home. I've attended a couple of the coffee cupping classes at Cherry, and it's such a fun and educational vibe without being stuffy. Cherry's roaster Moss Lelko is a coffee genius and always has answers to coffee questions, no matter how obscure.
Tickets and more information
The Coffee Exhibit at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
As I mentioned earlier, New Orleans has always been a coffee town. To learn more about the city’s incredible relationship with coffee, stop by the SoFab Museum and check out its latest exhibit, 'The Natural Port: A Look at New Orleans Coffee Culture'. Take a walk into the past to learn about how coffee had a part in making New Orleans what it is today, and how coffee culture became so entwined with the city of New Orleans in the nineteenth century. This exhibit runs through October 28th, and admission to the museum is only $12. Outside of coffee, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum has many excellent exhibits centered around food and cocktails. Exhibit tickets and information
If you’re just looking for a really good cup (or bag) of coffee, New Orleans isn’t lacking in that department, either. Many excellent coffee roasters roast their own coffee beans.
CR Coffee Shop
3618 Magazine St., St Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave., 603 1/2 Metairie Rd. (Metairie), Louis Armstrong International Airport
(inside Moisant Market, close to Concourse B)
With multiple locations, including St. Roch Market and old Metairie, owner Kevin Pedeaux’s CR Coffee "prides itself on getting coffee back to its simplest and freshest form" according to their website.
Alinea Coffee Roasters
At Bearcat Café locations: 845 Carondelet St. and 2521 Jena St.
Run by coffee roaster and expert Michael Matthews, Alinea is available at Bearcat Café, which Matthews also owns, so you can grab a bite when you’re grabbing a good cup of coffee!
Orleans Coffee
3445 Prytania St.
This spot is owned by Bob Arceneaux, one of the city’s quintessential coffee experts. Arceneaux has been in the coffee business for over thirty years and brings his expertise to every cup of Orleans Coffee.
Coffee Science
410 S Broad St.
Owner Tom Oliver is another coffee expert with a long coffee history and an incredible coffee shop. Stop in here to get your caffeine fix in the form of a regular cup of coffee, a Venetian Crème, or an Espresso Gimlet.
Mojo Coffee House
1500 Magazine St., 4700 Freret St. (with Mojo Coffee Roasters at 3983 Tchoupitoulas St.)
Mojo has been around since 2006, and owner Angela Jackson has created two incredible shops on Magazine St. and Freret St. Since its inception, the company has evolved into roasting and selling its own coffee beans (at Mojo Coffee Roasters as well as the coffee shops), and both of their spots have a nice, laidback vibe.
by Marielle Songy
It's no secret that Seattle is the United States city most associated with coffee. That Starbucks of theirs has really made a name for itself, and, yes, their specialty coffee scene is pretty good. But please allow me to present New Orleans as a major American coffee city as well. Not only does the Port of New Orleans import most of the country's coffee (we're neck and neck with New York on that one thanks to our buddy Folgers, who do all of their coffee business here), but this is a city built on coffee.
Since the 18th century, New Orleanians have taken pride in their coffee consumption and traditions (coffee with chicory, anyone?). One of the most famous businesses in New Orleans, Café du Monde, is known for its café au lait, after all. National Coffee Day is September 29, and there are plenty of events planned around the big day, and ways to learn much more about coffee if you want to venture beyond your daily iced latte. Here's a round-up of caffeine-focused culture in New Orleans:
NOLA Coffee Festival
Morial Convention Center
This festival takes place at the Convention Center on September 27th and 28th, and is perfect for coffee pros and novices alike. For $20 a day, you can attend coffee education classes led by coffee professionals and sample different types of coffee from New Orleans’ roasters. The festival also features a barista competition. This is a great place to start if you want to learn more about coffee. If you are a coffee fanatic, the festival is also the perfect place to stock up on beans you've always wanted to try. I went last year, and I had such a wonderful time. People in the coffee industry are friendly, passionate about their work, and love sharing their knowledge.
Tickets and information
Current Crop Roasting Shop
3931 Magazine St.
Current Crop Roasting Shop is a coffee hub where you can buy exotic coffee beans and learn to roast them yourself. The store isn't so much a coffee shop but a coffee education hub. Here, you can take coffee roasting and cupping classes from expert Catherine Mansell and learn what kind of coffee appeals to your palette. The cupping classes are enjoyable because Catherine explains how to use the coffee taster's flavor wheel to discern the different flavors hidden in your coffee, like fruits and florals. Take a few classes, and you'll be a coffee expert in no time.
Schedule and further information
Coffee 101 at Cherry Coffee Roasters
401 Lafayette St., Gretna
On October 19th at 12.30pm, the coffee shop will host a coffee education class. Coffee 101 is a journey into the world of specialty coffee. Learn what specialty coffee is, what the information on the bag means to you, how coffee gets from a seed to your cup, the basics to level up your home coffee game, and much more. The $50 class includes a lecture, an interactive coffee tasting, a Q&A with Cherry’s roaster, and a complimentary bag of coffee to take home. I've attended a couple of the coffee cupping classes at Cherry, and it's such a fun and educational vibe without being stuffy. Cherry's roaster Moss Lelko is a coffee genius and always has answers to coffee questions, no matter how obscure.
Tickets and more information
The Coffee Exhibit at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd
As I mentioned earlier, New Orleans has always been a coffee town. To learn more about the city’s incredible relationship with coffee, stop by the SoFab Museum and check out its latest exhibit, 'The Natural Port: A Look at New Orleans Coffee Culture'. Take a walk into the past to learn about how coffee had a part in making New Orleans what it is today, and how coffee culture became so entwined with the city of New Orleans in the nineteenth century. This exhibit runs through October 28th, and admission to the museum is only $12. Outside of coffee, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum has many excellent exhibits centered around food and cocktails. Exhibit tickets and information
If you’re just looking for a really good cup (or bag) of coffee, New Orleans isn’t lacking in that department, either. Many excellent coffee roasters roast their own coffee beans.
CR Coffee Shop
3618 Magazine St., St Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Ave., 603 1/2 Metairie Rd. (Metairie), Louis Armstrong International Airport
(inside Moisant Market, close to Concourse B)
With multiple locations, including St. Roch Market and old Metairie, owner Kevin Pedeaux’s CR Coffee "prides itself on getting coffee back to its simplest and freshest form" according to their website.
Alinea Coffee Roasters
At Bearcat Café locations: 845 Carondelet St. and 2521 Jena St.
Run by coffee roaster and expert Michael Matthews, Alinea is available at Bearcat Café, which Matthews also owns, so you can grab a bite when you’re grabbing a good cup of coffee!
Orleans Coffee
3445 Prytania St.
This spot is owned by Bob Arceneaux, one of the city’s quintessential coffee experts. Arceneaux has been in the coffee business for over thirty years and brings his expertise to every cup of Orleans Coffee.
Coffee Science
410 S Broad St.
Owner Tom Oliver is another coffee expert with a long coffee history and an incredible coffee shop. Stop in here to get your caffeine fix in the form of a regular cup of coffee, a Venetian Crème, or an Espresso Gimlet.
Mojo Coffee House
1500 Magazine St., 4700 Freret St. (with Mojo Coffee Roasters at 3983 Tchoupitoulas St.)
Mojo has been around since 2006, and owner Angela Jackson has created two incredible shops on Magazine St. and Freret St. Since its inception, the company has evolved into roasting and selling its own coffee beans (at Mojo Coffee Roasters as well as the coffee shops), and both of their spots have a nice, laidback vibe.
