World class coffee definitely comes from Guatemala. Since I’m a coffee addict, this year’s trip was definitely more about coffee than the last one. And I tell you, why.

We all – including myself – almost never really question, what coffee we are drinking. Yes – maybe we have a favorite brand or coffee shop or even system we like…but have you ever asked yourself, where the coffee you are drinking is coming from? And how it is produced? And if the price you pay for it is justified? Let me tell you about my coffee drinking habits: I use a Nespresso machine at home. When I’m in the US, I have coffee at Starbucks. When I’m in Italy, I have Espresso at a bar. I LOVE coffee and I have probably more cups a day than I should. What bothered me the most, always was the fact, that I didn’t really know what I was drinking. So before going on my vacation to Guatemala, I decided that I wanted to educate myself about coffee – and shoot pictures while doing it!

Diego Joachin who I met on Facebook before the trip, is a coffee expert. And he managed to set me up with Julio who does coffee tours. Julio is the mastermind behind „Craft Coffee Tours“ in Antigua and he also works at one of the best coffee bars in the city – but more about that a little later. I talked to Julio via Facebook and he agreed to take me to visit a coffee farm and meet the farmer and his family. Later that week, we met and drove to the coffee farmer’s house. He then introduced me to Gabriel and his whole family and the tour began. We visited the coffee fields, I learned about the plant, on how it’s grown and taken care of, problems they have in that area and how the harvesting process works. After that, we went back to Gabriel’s house to see how the coffee beans are processed. His wife roasted and ground some coffee beans and in the end we did a tasting of their premium selection of coffee. Let me tell you – THIS is exactly the way coffee should be tasted: processed and prepared by the people who have grown it!

The love and the respect for this art were inspiring and the product spoke for itself. Now that I know, how much labor and efforts go into one cup of coffee, I see things a bit differently. It is very hard work and the risk of farmers being exploited is pretty high. I would definitely be much more willing to pay more for a cup of coffee, if I knew that the money was returned to the farmers and their families. And just to give you an idea: a pound of roasted whole coffee from this farm costs around 7 dollars – that is not really expensive considering the quality you get for it. I would even pay more for such a great coffee.

Julio does an amazing job in bringing this to the attention of more people through the tours. If you ever happened to be in Guatemala, you should take his tour. It is so much fun and such an inspiring experience! You can find Julio here: Craft Coffee Tours.

But let’s talk a bit about the guy that made this experience possible: Diego Joachin! Diego is a coffee expert and has a little catering company which will cater whatever event you can come up with. He freshly prepares specialty coffee on location and gives you information about the in’s and out’s of coffee culture. He is such a nice guy – he even managed to set up an interview for the very famous Facebook page “Perhaps You Need A Little Guatemala” which you should definitely follow if you’re planning on visiting this stunning country.

We met on a Sunday morning and drove up to El Cerro De La Cruz – a beautiful lookout above Antigua. We had some of the world’s best coffee from the Quetzaltenango area, took some photos and then recorded the interview. Javier was our camera man – thanks dude!! 😀 It was such a huge honor to be able to talk about Guatemala, my trip and photography. Thanks again guys – this was amazing! If you want to learn more about Diego and his catering service, make sure to check out his Facebook page.

He also showed me around Antigua and guided me to the best coffee shops in town – I will mention them at the end of this article and show some pictures.

GUATE JAVA

My favorite coffee shop in Antigua is definitely Guate Java. Julio and the other guys do an amazing job in preparing coffee and educating guests about the specialties they offer in this little beautiful shop. They brew local coffee and have a huge list of coffee variations! The atmosphere is cosy and very relaxed. Make sure to stop by, grab a cup of premium coffee and say hi!

ADDRESS
6 Calle Poniente Casa 26
Antigua Guatemala

OPENING HOURS
Monday through Friday: 7 am – 7 pm
Sunday: 7 am – 5 pm

OFFERINGS
Coffee specialties
Muffins & cakes
Merchandising

SPECIALS
Free Wifi
Awesome staff

CONTACT
www.facebook.com/GuateJava/

EL REFUGIO

A second great place for amazing coffee is El Refugio right behind the Antiguo Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús. It’s a little shop which is warm and bright and the Cappuccino there is heavenly! They also speak English and and many backpackers are hanging out there.

ADDRESS
7A Avenida
Antigua Guatemala

OPENING HOURS
Monday through Friday: 7:30 am – 7 pm
Sunday: 10 am – 7 pm

OFFERINGS
Coffee specialties
Muffins & cakes
Empanadas

SPECIALS
Free Wifi
Awesome staff

CONTACT
www.refugecoffeeroasters.com

FAT CAT

The third great choice for amazing local coffee specialties is Fat Cat. The rustic interior is nicely decorated and the offer amazing coffee as well as some merchandise.

ADDRESS
No. 14 4a Calle Oriente
Antigua Guatemala

OPENING HOURS
Monday through Friday: 7 am – 8 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 7 am – 9 pm

OFFERINGS
Coffee specialties
Muffins & cakes

SPECIALS
Free Wifi
Friendly staff

CONTACT
www.facebook.com/fatcatcoffeehouse