Bringing people together: The Haas Coffee Collective

What is it about coffee that brings people together? Couples don’t go out and drink a cup of soda together, and when was the last time you saw a group of friends hanging out at a deli? Something about coffee makes it unique. It’s like a glue that holds some of the most interesting parts of society together. If there’s one company that’s tapped into the unique environment that coffee produces, it’s the Haas Coffee Collective.

The Haas Coffee Collective is a part of the Haas Design Collective and is located in Cape Town, South Africa, specifically in the Bo-Kaap. Cape Town is known for it’s coffee scene, and Haas is most definitely a fine addition to that scene.

I haven’t visited Haas. I found out about them through Twitter, and I’m glad I did. The Haas Collective fuses art and coffee in a building as unique as the experience it suggests. Perhaps their website says it best.

the recently launched ‘haas coffee collective’ is an extension of ‘the haas design collective’. our coffee beans are selected from relationship farms across the world. both single origin and blended coffees are sold freshly packed under the ‘haas’ label. all our coffee beans are roasted in-house to ensure the production of a superior quality coffee.

In addition, Haas serves “Kopi Luwak,” the world’s most expensive coffee. It runs for about $80 a cup, and is apparently incredibly delicious (though not for the faint of heart). The process of creating Kopi Luwak coffee is…shall we say, interesting.

I’m very impressed with Haas. They sent me two single origin coffees: “The Mysterious Gentleman,” a complex Guatemalan coffee, and “The Famous Jailbreak,” an Ethiopian coffee that is rather sweet. Haas has style down to a tee, and all it takes is one glance at the labels that Haas puts on their bags to know this.

It should be noted that Haas is partners with Strictly Coffee who themselves make it clear that roasting coffee is “not simply an action, but a meticulously evolved art.” I couldn’t agree more. Haas is proud of this partnership, noting that Strictly Coffee is “crucial” to them.

The coffees themselves were both delicious. The Mysterious Gentleman proved delicious in both drip coffee and Americanos. A strong initial note was incredibly welcome, and the complex symphony that followed more so. The coffee is aptly named, as the taste reminds me of something…well, something mysterious.

I enjoyed The Famous Jailbreak most in lattes and mochas, though straight shots and Americanos didn’t disappoint either. The slightly sweet Ethiopian single origin coffee was greatly complimented by lightly frothed milk. Sitting down with a cup of The Famous Jailbreak while reading a book, magazine, or blogs on my iPad proved to be the best approach to enjoying this coffee.

How can you get your hands on some coffee from Haas? The easiest way is to contact them using one of the phone numbers or emails on their website. Although the prices of their coffee aren’t advertised, their website notes “all prices on request and goods shipped worldwide.” Mention that you heard about them from BoiseCoffee!

I’m not sure what it is about coffee that breaks barriers, lightens the burden of a heavy day, and brings people together. Whatever the reason, I highly suggest that next time you’re looking to put a delicious cup of Joe in your mug, you turn to the Haas Coffee Collective.

The Coffee Guy

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