Yoo! Amsterdam is the illest. How have I not spent time here sooner? It is a beautiful heaven on earth. My sister and I went to 2 different coffee roasters today and definitely vibed with the coffee scene in this city. Definitely third-wave with gorgeous spaces and enthusiastic customers.
Our first stop was a roaster in the center of the city called Lot Sixty One. Walking up, you can quickly notice a crowd which is an indication of good coffee ahead. As you get through the door you realize it is a small space and are immediately at the counter; I liked this cozy feel.
The spot is awesomely set up and has all the sweet gadgets to make awesome coffee while also looking the part. The service was off the chain and we were quick to make friends with the english speaking baristas.
I ordered a single origin Ethiopian espresso along with a cappuccino made with their Brazilian and Costa Rica blend. The espresso was solid and pulled as ristretto (21g in : 32g out). It was fruity, complex, heavy bodied, and ended on a bitter note while the cappuccino was coffee forward and sweet.
Later in the day, we headed further west in the city to visit a more local area of town for White Label Coffee.
Another place you walk into and simply by their build out can tell that you are about to get a good experience. This owner/operated spot was more roomy, slow paced, and interactive. Getting to order with more room to shmooze allowed us to learn that the guy making our coffee had traveled to Rwanda and sourced the coffee that we drank as espresso.
I ordered the single origin Rwandan Espresso along with a filter of Ethiopian and my sister got a latte. The espresso was good and was also served as restretto (20g in : 35g out) showcasing Rwandan terrior, dark fruit, cooked caramel, and a heavy body. The filter coffee had a medium body, caramel notes, and black tea finish.
