Perhaps the best addition to Amsterdam Specialty Coffee scene

Five Ways Coffee Roasters

East or West, Five Ways is the best!

Bit of a new comer to Amsterdam’s Specialty Coffee scene, Five Ways indeed lives up to its name in number by offering a real Five Star experience. In fact it was recommended to me by one of the brew masters in Bocca Coffee which reflects their growing popularity amongst coffee aficionados.

While this coffee place is relatively new having started in 2021, their Founder Ben O’Callaghan is no stranger to the specialty coffee world. He was a part of the well known Lot61 Coffee and then worked at The Coffee District and Uncommon before setting off to start Five Ways along with Co-Founder Paul Jenner. Together they wanted to bring in the Aussie vibes to Amsterdam cool. By now you guessed the massive influence Australian indie coffee has on this city.

But what does Five Ways name actually stand for? It’s your five senses to fully appreciate coffee besides the fact that there are five grinders on the counter and the minimalistic menu has five types of items on offer.

Situated on the bustling Kinkerstraat, this amazing coffee place welcomes you with a corner entrance which is very typical of European heritage architecture and huge floor to ceiling windows that flood the room with daylight. It has a lovely mezzanine floor that overlooks the bar and a hidden coffee training room that can only be accessed through an inconspicuous route! This coffee place’s interiors are soothing and light on the eye and reflect the minimalistic design with right usage of wood.

The ever smiling baristas Alice and Caitlin were happy to share their own coffee stories and make some great recommendations.

COFFEE FARM : LOS PIRINEOS,EL SALVADOR

Located in the Usulután department of El Salvador, Los Pirineos farm is under the management of Diego Baraona, a fifth-generation coffee producer. Taking over the reins in 2020 after his father Gilberto's passing, Diego is dedicated to upholding the rich tradition and legacy of his family, which spans over 130 years of experience, history, and expertise in coffee cultivation.

Situated 1400 meters above sea level on a solitary volcano's slopes, the farm benefits from a distinctive microclimate. Abundant sunshine and cool breezes create an optimal environment for coffee production, processing, and drying.

Los Pirineos cultivates approximately 20 coffee varieties, such as Rume Sudan, SL-28, Batian, and Gesha, with Pacamara and Bourbon being the primary ones, constituting about 80% of the farm's volume.

This particular Pacamara lot has undergone Anaerobic Natural processing. Following harvest, fully ripe cherries are carefully sealed in barrels within a temperature-controlled chamber set at 16 degrees Celsius. The fermentation process takes place in this environment for 72 hours, with regular monitoring of the fermentation slurry's pH to ensure consistent quality. The tanks are then opened, and the cherries undergo an additional 72 hours of fermentation exposed to the open air. Subsequently, the cherries are dried on raised beds for 25 days until they reach the optimal moisture content required for milling and export.

• Country: El Salvador

• Region: Usulutan

• Farm: Los Pirineos

• Process: Anaerobic Natural

• Tasting Notes: Molasses, Plum, Brown Sugar, Citric

• Altitude: 1400 masl

• Variety: Pacamara