Hi, I’m Julia

I started Columbia Supremo with the hope to create a broader and more inclusive Specialty Coffee community. Even though the coffee industry is getting more and more sophisticated, most people still think of it as the dark bitter liquid that keeps you awake. I want to offer you a guide on how to get rid of that perception and appreciate coffee for what it is: a drink with so much complexity and potential. So here’s a collection of articles, and café reviews to inspire you to be part of a community that stands for drinking mind blowing coffee, improving the livelihoods of farmers, and ensuring a sustainable future. Win, win, win, ya know?

How did I become such a coffee geek? 

Raised in a coffee oriented environment (my family has had a roasting business for 20+ years), my favorite childhood game was jumping between the tall piles of coffee sacks and being covered in burlap from head to toe. Best game ever if you ask me. I would smell of coffee as a kid, and had many Amélie Poulain moments dipping my fingers in freshly roasted beans in the factory. It wasn’t until much later however, when I moved to England for my studies that I attended a cupping event and found myself appreciating not just the beans and their smell, but all that coffee represents. That cupping event was followed by many other coffee events and I slowly started sharing this experience with others. Offering guidance to my friends who wanted to drink better coffee, and sharing facts and reviews on my Instagram. As my Instagram grew I found myself catering not only to my friends, but everyone else in the community! It was only then that I wanted to create a platform where I could talk to a larger audience, dispel the myths that the industry keeps feeding us, and make Speciality coffee easier to understand.

I love nothing more than seeing people around me change their coffee drinking habits for the best and have been known to convert instant coffee drinkers to V60 lovers. Whether you’re a barista wanting to learn more about other aspects of the industry, or just someone looking for ways to have a better morning cup, I hope you enjoy skimming through my scribbles.

Life beyond the bean

Not too long ago I graduated from the University of Exeter where I was reading Economics and Finance. I am currently living in my home country Albania, in a cute little apartment that I’ve rented in Tirana. If you came to visit you would probably find me blasting Indie Rock tunes and making coffee in the mornings, or keeping you full on Italian wine and appetizers in the evenings, your call.