Library: Perhaps the most ideal location for a Coffee Place

Democratic Coffee, Copenhagen

The Café:

Started in 2011, Democratic Coffee is one of the oldest & the best cafés in Copenhagen. It is hidden off the lobby of the city’s main library, Københavns Hovedbibliotek, few blocks away from Nørreport station. Head to the right when you step into the library and you’ll find your way into a room with a long wood paneled bar echoing typical Nordic design.

Why is it named Democratic? Because this coffee shop is named after its location in one of the most democratic places you’ll ever find – the library.

It was bustling with people when I checked in. This coffee place usually attracts lots of students, business people or whoever just want a great cup of coffee, often accompanied by the signature item of the café – their almond croissant, which is freshly baked at the spot twice a day. Just like the famous pastry, all the baked goodies are made in-house in the kitchen right behind the counter.

The most important item here is, of course the coffee & that’s what I came for. Democratic Coffee specialises in single-origin, lightly roasted coffees from roasters in Nordics. When I visited, they were serving from one of the most famous Roasters from Aarhus, Denmark : La Cabra.  The Honduras-Erin Moreno I tasted was fresh citrusy with crisp acidity, balanced by an intense sugary sweetness. I could vividly remember La Cabra’s I had at Acid Café in Madrid (refer to my blog of 21st Jan 2023)

La Cabra, Aarhus : The Roastery

La Cabra Coffee is a modern coffee company established in Aarhus, Denmark in 2012 with humble beginnings.  They started in a small shop far from the city centre, a dedicated team aiming to offer something new and exciting to Aarhus, which already had a strong and established coffee culture. Quickly, this dedication to providing outstanding coffee experiences turned into obsession with a fast growing industry that was slowly spanning the globe.

Curious about what lay further down the coffee chain, they threw themselves into sourcing and roasting their own coffee, their own way, in 2013. Part of the advantage of being in a small town like Aarhus is the lack of external influence, allowing them to forge an honest and novel approach to coffee. This honesty and dedication led to a reputation at home, where a passionate team still runs the coffee bar and bakery.

Over the past few years La Cabra has further expanded coffee horizons, moving to a larger roastery in Copenhagen, and opening their first international locations in New York, Bangkok and Dubai.

Erin Moreno, Honduras : The Coffee

A sweet and fresh washed Parainema, produced by Erin Moreno in the Santa Barbara region of Honduras, Central America.

The Moreno family have been growing excellent quality coffee for years. Erin’s father, Pedro, was one of the first producers to enter the specialty coffee market in Santa Barbara. Erin inherited his plot of the farm from Pedro, initially planted with Catimor. However, after witnessing the success of Parainema on other parts of the farm, Erin chose to replant the entire plot soon after he took over.

This Washed Parainema is driven by crisp acidity, with fresh citrus balanced by an intense sugary sweetness.

Washed process: The washed process has highlighted this acidity, while maintaining the sweet and creamy character. The herbal notes soften into an almost tea-like dryness in the finish, bringing an excellent balance to the cup. This lot was process using a washed process; de-pulped, fermented for 20 hours and washed carefully, before 14 days of drying on raised beds underneath plastic solar drying tunnels.

Technical Data

·       Producer : Erin Moreno

·       Region : Santa Barbara

·       Altitude:  1480 masl

·       Varietal : Parainema

·       Process : Washed