Mexico City-Chiquitito Cafe

I want to start out by saying that my wife is really awesome and that I'm really damn lucky to be her husband. This past Christmas, I opened the most unexpected gift.

I was really excited to say the least. She knows me really well and couldn't have thought of a better gift for me. Experiences over stuff always wins! Mexico has been really high on my list for a while now. Tacos alone being one of the biggest reasons. I've been enjoying Mexican coffee for as long as I've been roasting, at least 18 years now. I've had some truly amazing coffee from Mexico and immediately grew excited thinking about all the great coffee I was about to enjoy firsthand from there. I was definitely not let down. To be honest, I was really blown away.

Our hostel was located in the hip and trendy Condesa neighborhood. We spent a majority of our time there and also the adjacent area, Roma Norte. Both of these areas have a European feel with tree lined streets, fountains and stunning plazas.

Right around the corner from our hostel was the beautiful Chiquitito Cafe and it was here that we launched our coffee tour of Mexico City. Immediately walking into the cafe, we were greeted by a 2 group Marzocco Linea and extremely friendly staff. In the very limited amount of Spanish I could muster, I explained that I was a roaster and barista from the United States and that I was visiting Mexico for the first time. I requested a Hario v60 of his favorite coffee and he was happy to prepare a washed coffee from Oaxaca. It was beautifully balanced, clean and nuanced. He brewed the coffee with care and was proud to serve it. There is something really powerful about coffee that is produced there in Mexico and having it served locally with so much care and attention to detail. Its such a beautiful synergy between producer and barista, the perfect expression of crop to cup. Its always such an honor and a privilege to be able to travel and savor these experiences.

Chiquitito Cafe was a perfect launching pad into our exploration of Mexican coffee and leaving off this high we were very excited for a deeper dive into this beautiful and vibrant city.