Treat yourself to a cup of specialty coffee

Would you like to grab a coffee?

This question, which is even asked by those who do not drink coffee, shows how strongly it is embedded in our everyday lives. It is therefore not surprising that the number of small boutique coffee roasters offering fair trade coffee, direct trade coffee, organic coffee, single-origin coffee, coffee with a Slovenian touch, and even coffee with a story has been on the rise in recent years.

Slovenians love coffee. We start with a cup of fragrant coffee in the morning, and it remains our companion into the late afternoon. We drink it at home, at work, while reading or surfing the Internet, in bars, in coffee shops and elsewhere. Our coffee habits used to be rather uniform; however, ever since speciality coffee and numerous new coffee machines and appliances have emerged, the selection has been wide and new habits have developed. Drinking coffee is a ritual. It tastes best in company, but is also good when enjoyed alone.

Specialty coffee is high-quality coffee that grows in special microclimatic conditions at altitudes exceeding 1,200 metres. Carefully handpicked and expertly roasted, unique flavours develop, emphasising its natural aroma. This type of coffee comprises approximately 10 percent of the global coffee production.

Boutique roasters – the bearers of this exotic beverage

The tradition of coffee roasting is an old one in Slovenia. The largest and most famous are Barcaffe, which is just now celebrating its seventieth anniversary, and Loka Coffee, while there is also the slightly younger Emonec Kafe. Coffee does not grow in Slovenia, but boutique Slovenian coffee roasters are certainly on the rise. They are the ones that have set the wheels of speciality coffee in motion . They have prompted awareness and interest, raising the first generation of speciality coffee enthusiasts. Today, they continue to educate on coffee, its preparation and serving.

The most successful and notable small coffee roasters in central Slovenia include Escobar in Vrhnika, Mariposa and Zadruga Buna in Ljubljana, and Stow from Kamnik; in the west, there is Kolektiv 22 from Smokuč in the Gorenjska region and Coronini from Tolmin; in the east, HI KO FI and Tovarna kave, both from Maribor, and Iconic from Trbovlje.

Coffee shops – invigorating beverages on a tray

Coffee shops have been present in our territory for over two hundred years and used to be regarded as superior places of socialising for intellectuals, who exchanged opinions and information, read the newspapers and played dominoes, chess, billiards and cards.

Together with the emergence of boutique roasters, the number of coffee shops and bars that pay special attention to preparing a cup of coffee is also on the rise. The waiting staff receive training, the appliances are carefully chosen, as is the coffee itself. In Ljubljana, the best-known coffee shops offering their own coffee and coffee blends are Cafe Čokl, Črno zrno, Stow in the City Museum, and Mariposa, while there are also several offering coffee from boutique roasters, e.g. Moderna in the Museum of Modern Art, Tozd, Kavarna Natura, and Bar Ribarnica. In Maribor, you can indulge in coffee in Rooster Coffee, HI KO FI, Rooster Lent, and in the Cafe Pisarna, in Celje in Kavarna Oaza, and in Mežica in Kavarna Kogelnik. There is also the Atelje Dobnik located in several towns across the country, and if you are visiting the coast, treat yourself to a fragrant cup from the local boutique roasters in the Caffe Neptun.

A cup of coffee in local stories

There is not a Slovenian around who is unfamiliar with Ivan Cankar’s short story, A Cup of Coffee. We are therefore that much happier to be able to not only read about a cup of coffee, but also to drink it. Our first micro-roaster actually comes from Vrhnika and it is no surprise that the first house blend, which contains exceptionally valued Arabica beans, has been named in honour of the most famous citizen of the town. And even if Cankar’s coffee does not grow in the country, its fruity aroma and honey aftertaste take our mind to Slovenia. You can order Cankar’s Cup of Coffee in the Zavetišče na Planini nad Vrhniko mountain hut, in the restaurants Bajc and Pri Kranjcu and in the Star Maln na Vrhniki lodge.

Similar stories are being written in other towns. At the initiative of the Carinthian Regional Museum, Escobar roasters from Vrhnika prepared a coffee blend dedicated to composer Hugo Wolf, who was born in Slovenj Gradec and liked his coffee strong and with cream. This coffee can be sampled in several coffee shops in Slovenj Gradec, while a tasting and presentation can be arranged in the Ars Cafe.

Following the Footsteps of Minatti is a guided tour following the steps of this Slovenske Konjice poet. A part of the tour is a special coffee, uniquely served in a cup with Minatti’s portrait and a poem.

Coffee at festivals

Baristas, roasters, suppliers, coffee shops and coffee enthusiasts meet every year at three different festivals dedicated to this popular beverage. At the end of May, there is the Vrhnika Coffee Festival, in March the Slovenia Coffee Festival in Celje, and in September the Festival of Coffee and Café Culture in Ptuj. This last uses a slightly different approach to connecting historical, cultural, social and culinary elements of coffee and coffee ceremonies.