The fifth wave of coffee has completely changed the global coffee industry in different ways, bringing new experiences to drinkers, and companies are being more ambitious in their products.
However, some values remain unchanged throughout centuries: the quality of the coffee bean and the passion coffee makers' put into their works. From famous to new coffee brands, these seven brands share three things in common – pride in where they come from, love for farmers' works, and a mission to bring Vietnamese coffee to the world.
The Married Beans
“I love coffee so much that I can imagine getting married to coffee my whole life," said Duy Ho, founder of The Married Beans.
With an art museum-like space, The Married Beans showroom is one of the few cafes serving specialty coffee in Dalat. Each coffee bean is selected and tested by experts to bring superior quality coffee. Adjacent to the shop is a coffee farm and coffee factory, where they produce coffee beans.
Meanwhile, The Married Beans workspace is located in the old Villa Merionnet in classical French architecture, a space to enjoy coffee and organize workshops with coffee and art.
Coming to this spot, you definitely have to enjoy a specialty coffee. The pastries here are also worth trying.
You will receive a certificate of completion of the coffee basics course after joining the farm tour, harvesting and preparing your coffee, and learning how to taste coffee from the cupping session.
La Viet
“There is no special coffee, only special people who make coffee with all of their hearts,” Tran Nhat Quang, the founder of La Viet.
Established in 2013 in Da Lat with a strong belief that Vietnamese coffee beans can be as delicious as coffee beans from other countries, La Viet has become a famous domestic coffee brand with 11 establishments nationwide.
La Viet has everything from machine coffee to filter coffee and handmade drip coffee. When you come here, you can try the method of making coffee with ice cubes to help preserve the aroma of Arabica beans.
The cafe’s space creates a feeling of closeness, comfort and gives you a lot of inspiration to work. The name “La Viet” can bring connection, making people feel part of it whether people drink coffee or not.
Aramour Coffee Roaster
“Coffee is a drink that is full of arts," the founder said.
Aramour was born in 2018 with the desire to bring clean coffee to the souls who love this drink, building a chain of coffee production and consumption that is closely connected. The brand meticulously selects and roasts Vietnamese coffee beans for its products to achieve a pleasant, delicate, and balanced taste.
The cafe’s space is covered with many trees and birdsong, and is one of the favorite green "oases" with coffee connoisseurs in Saigon. Not only good coffee, Aramour also has an extremely impressive identity. And cold-brew names you cannot forget: Black Velvet, Caramel Muisimu, Black Orange Tonic, Jasmine Cada.
“Open Brew Bar” is an exciting activity of Aramour, where cold-brew fans can experience free and clean coffee products.
Sơn Pacamara Specialty Coffee
“No secret, just passion."
As one of the pioneering enterprises in the specialty coffee industry in Vietnam, Son Pacamara grows and manually produces specialty coffee beans that score over 80 points (according to the SCA scale). The process of growing, preliminary processing, and roasting are outstanding and truly professional.
Son Pacamara's space simulates a coffee roasting factory and spreads a strong "from farm to cup" spirit. In Son's Brew bar, you can make your own coffee from six types of beans and four ways to prepare it at the counter.
Son Pacamara has a farm of its own - Son Pacamara Farm - located in Da Lat with an altitude of 1500m with more than 18000 rare and high-quality Arabica coffees in Da Lat such as Bourbon, Typica, or Pacamara.
Only about 30kg of coffee beans are harvested a day, compared to an average of 300 kilograms at other farms in Da Lat, but that is always the best 30kg per day on a 4-hectare farm.
Vietnam Coffee Republic
“Every good story starts with an interesting journey. We also come from our personal journeys,” said Phong Lam, founder of Vietnam Coffee Republic.
The Vietnam Coffee Republic is a brand with a certain foothold in foreign markets. Not chasing after what's new or too different, they seriously pursue the process of harvesting, roasting, and blending.
The Vietnam Coffee Republic has formal barista training classes with instructors with many years in the industry. They do not want to just talk about coffee, but to connect with like-minded people through coffee.
“Iced milk republic” is a must-try drink - a 70/30 blend contains 70% arabica seeds, less caffeine, and a more intense aroma.
Not only delicious but also beautiful, Vietnam Coffee Republic has an online store where you can buy coffee magazines, posters, canvas bags, and thermos with artistic designs.
Building Coffee
“The perfect place for a specialty coffee maker is the farm," Will Frith said, founder of Building Coffee.
The Building is not a coffee shop. It’s a coffee roasting factory, where people with expertise and experience of specialty coffee converge. The brand is a roasting partner for big coffee companies like The Workshop and La Viet.
If you want to learn and understand coffee, then go to Building. They regularly share a series of questions and tips about coffee.
Coffee at Building has a clear origin, pure, aromatic, and bold flavor. For whole grain products, they will grind before sending to ensure quality.
Lacàph
Lacàph's mission is to share Vietnamese coffee and Vietnamese culture with curious people everywhere. They are dedicated to understanding the farming communities that, together, can produce the best quality coffee products.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Lacàph Space is a must-visit especially if you're curious about Vietnamese coffee. It's where you can learn more about the 160-year history of coffee in Vietnam and get familiar with their Signature Blend coffees.
They also organize Journeys and Events that lead you off to explore and discover anything and everything about coffee. If you're interested to try Lacàph's additional offerings, their Bar is full of teas and other ready-to-drink products.
Drinks at Lacàph Bar are made from their signature filter, espresso, and phin blends, as well as their ready-to-drink Cold Brew and Cold Steeped Cascara.