It seems like almost overnight we’ve become a country of coffee drinkers. From French and Italian roasts to South American blends, we’re mad for a cup. As a nation we consumed 3,992 tonnes of coffee in 2013, and with all this boosted exposure to artisan and speciality brews we’re becoming a lot more inquisitive and discerning about what we put through our fair trade filters.
Leopold Bloom in Joyce’s Ulysses once mused that it would be a “good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub”. Well, these days it may be even harder to cross the nation’s capital without passing a café. They’re everywhere, and we couldn’t be happier about it. Ireland has developed itself a huge café culture. We just love catching up over a latte or taking some quality time with a good book and a cappuccino and who doesn’t need that double shot of espresso for the long commute to work?
We’re not just intrigued by coffee either, we also just happen to be really good at it. Next year Ireland will play host to the 2016 World Barista Championships which will see thousands of caffeinated contestants and enthusiasts flock to Dublin to see Ireland take its place on the international coffee stage.
To get the word from someone in the know, and find out just why coffee is so loved in Ireland these days, we talked to Ally Simpson from Coffee Northern Ireland, a community of coffee enthusiasts in Northern Ireland and official media sponsors of this year’s Northern Ireland Aeropress Championship:
What makes the perfect coffee?
There are so many factors from the farm, the shipping, roasting, grinding… It’s hard to not mention all of these because they now play such an important role in specialty coffee. But passion and commitment are really key. If the barista who makes your coffee knows they have a great coffee to serve you and have passion and commitment then that’s a great start.
Where is your favourite place in Ireland to get a great cup?
I’d have to say Established Coffee in Belfast, but if we were closer to Dublin places like Coffee Angel, 3fe, Roasted Brown and First Draft Coffee are all great. Also here in Northern Ireland we have Lost & Found in Coleraine and other new shops opening soon which we think will only further develop the excitement around coffee.
Do you remember your first coffee experience?
My dad drank lots of instant coffee in the eighties so I vividly remember the pop of the lid on a new jar, the immediate smell of coffee which seemed dark, mysterious and a very adult thing to drink when I was a child.
What are the significant health benefits linked with drinking coffee?
There’s been a lot said about health benefits of late in the media; it’s good for your heart and liver and so on. I think science is always holding that balance of what we know and what we are yet to discover so let’s hope they keep endorsing coffee and don’t warn us off it.
What is your favourite thing about coffee?
I love when you open a brand new bag of freshly roasted coffee beans. The smell always gets a reaction from me.
Ireland is well known as a tea-drinking nation, why do you think we have embraced coffee so heartily?
I suppose in one sense there has been a bit of a global trend that helps but in Dublin I think the passion of people at all the places I’ve mentioned above has spread to others. When people are passionate and committed, that spreads.
Is there a food that goes best with coffee?
A lot of people say chocolate, a nice dark rich chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. The flavours you might experience in a great cup of coffee can be so varied that this one is a hard question to answer.
How different is the coffee scene in Ireland now from where it was five years ago and where do you see it going in the next five years?
The World Barista Championships in 2016 will be in Dublin and I think that’s testament to the hard work of people in coffee in Ireland. Colin Harmon always gets mentioned as a pioneer of what has happened here and he deserves that credit, along with his staff at 3fe. There are others too who continue to be innovative and bring change. Social media makes it far easier to connect with the coffee industry now and see their hard work so that helps the average coffee drinker see just how wide and varied the industry is.
In the next five years? I think we will see more new shops and coffee roasters. I hope that brings a dedication to quality because there is always a risk that it might not but we will have to wait and see.
One last thing, set your dream coffee scene. (i.e. 1 hour with any coffee, anywhere, at any point in time, with any person.)
picture by Gareth McCormack, Tourism Ireland
Actually, my dream coffee scene may be alone. On top of Slieve Binnian in the Mourne Mountains, grinding an Ethiopian Coffee with a Porlex hand grinder, boiling some water on a small stove and then brewing a tasty cup of coffee in a V60. I love the space required to make a filter coffee such as Chemex or V60. It’s slow, methodical and requires a bit of focus. When we see this happen in a busy coffee shop environment it excites us but it can be transported to anywhere, your kitchen, a mountain-top.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Help us find Ireland’s favourite coffee!
In the spirit of all things caffeinated, we’re also delighted to announce that over the next few days we will also be requiring your help in our search for Ireland’s favourite coffee!
We’ve scoured the country far and wide to find some of the best coffee around and came up with some tasty results. Over the next two weeks we will be sharing our findings with you.
But how can you help decide?
Joining in is simple, just pop over to our Facebook page each day for a new and exciting cup of Joe and like and share your favourite. The mug shot with the most votes at the end of the campaign will be crowned ‘Ireland’s Favourite Coffee’.
Adam Leahy
The Best of Ireland Series 
2 thoughts on “Ireland’s Coffee Culture (… and our search for Ireland’s favourite coffee)”