London Coffee Tour - Launch

I spent last week sitting in the cafes of London sipping on some of the best espresso drinks I have had this side of the Atlantic.  I've lived in Berlin as a recovering American for the last 2 years and nothing made me question my migration more than finding out that Europe, the home of coffee as we know it, is in many ways behind the USA in Coffee innovation.  I know I'll get in trouble for that opinion and for a long time I tried the diplomatic approach of saying the coffee is different here not worse but I've seen the light.  It is worse and I visited some folks in London that are working hard to change that. 
Bless their souls.

I compiled a list based on the recommendations from coffee geeks that visited Berlin's Godshot store where I work as a barista.  A surprise visit from a couple of Monmouth baristas one week before my trip rounded my list out to more than 20 serious coffee destinations in London.  I was prepared to be blown away and I was.  Although I was also underwhelmed, I'll focus here on what I found compelling in London.  Here is my basic criteria for a coffee destination. Some of these may seem like a given for some but one can not take them forgranted in the Old World.

• Use of fresh per cup ground 100% Arabica beans with a known roast date that is less than one month old.
• Machines that are up to the task of producing great shots and enhancing the work of a skilled barista.
• Skilled baristas that are passionate, knowledgeable and efficient.
• An environment that is controlled to stabilize variables that negatively effect sensitive coffee beans.