Welcome back to The Sprudge Twenty interview series! The Sprudge Twenty is an annual initiative by Sprudge presented in partnership with Pacific Barista Series that honors and amplifies 20 extraordinary individuals in teh global specialty coffee community. You can view this year’s Sprudge 20 honorees here, and catch up on all our interviews to date.
Nominated by Addison Mathis
Daniel is truly one-of-a-kind, a tender-hearted anomaly in a sea of coffee people feeling “a little burnt out on it all.” From our first shift together, Daniel proved himself to be what I believe the best coffee people are: everyone’s #1 fan. He is encouraging and deeply knowledgeable, and he always leads with humility and passion in his endeavors.
A few years back, Daniel started Flow Coffee Roasters, a long time dream of his that he now operates with his wife, Taylor Lafitte. Flow sources and roasts Colombian coffees, not so much a nod to Daniel’s Colombian roots but a deep honorific of them. He showcases the breadth of flavors from the region, from the perfect clean washed Caturra to the candy-like natural anaerobic Ombligon. Flow Coffee Roasters’s bags are often hand-painted in colors reflecting the flavors of the coffee inside. It’s these kind of intentional, subtle curiosity-sparking touches that make Dani’s work so beautiful. He knows how to walk the line of excellence and approachability, but he isn’t one to sing his own praises. The people who have the privilege of drinking coffee with or from him will sing them though, all day long.
Daniel’s Instagram bio says that he believes that coffee can change the world (Creo que el café puede cambiar el mundo). It’s been that way the entire time I’ve known him, and he embodies this belief through his work with Flow, and the other roasting and barista jobs he maintains to keep his roasting business up and running. More recently with Flow, Daniel has begun offering workshops for espresso and latte art to the public, both in English and in Spanish. He leads these with kindness, enthusiasm, and deep knowledge, encouraging everyone to be the best version of themself. He believes deeply in people’s potential and their goodness. This is how it feels to interact with Dani on an interpersonal level, and his ripple effects in the Atlanta coffee community cannot be understated. Our community is better off for having him in it.
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
How many years total have you worked in the coffee industry?
12 years
What was your first coffee job?
Barista
Did you experience a life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?
Absolutely, I’m from Colombia but stared my career in Argentina. So it felt like connecting with my culture.
Is there a person or persons who served as your mentor early in your coffee career? How did they impact you?
Many persons, but definitely two. A friend who introduced me to the industry and taught me how to work, and a ex boss who showed me how hospitality can create magic.
What is your current role in coffee?
I owe a coffee roasting company so lil bit of everything from sourcing, roasting, training, serve.
What facet of the coffee industry has changed the most during your career?
I think lately processing methods.
What still surprises you today about coffee, or gives you joy?
People. I think a lot of people get into coffee because of the product, but at the end you get to know yourself when you meet people.
What’s something about the coffee industry you’d most like to see change?
Maybe for origin countries to roast more.
What is your most cherished coffee memory?
I think as a kid, having dinner my grandfather used to transfer the coffee to the plate and then back to the cup. The whole scenario makes me smile, trying to understand as a kid why he was doing that, and then realizing why as an adult.
Do you make coffee at home? If so, tell us how you brew!
Not too much, but when I do I use 30 grams of coffee on origami, just to get two cups. Honestly I try to go easy, whatever coffee we have around is what we make.
What is your favorite song/music to brew coffee to?
Quantic Radio on Spotify makes the job done.
What is your idea of coffee happiness?
So the reason I’m into coffee is because I wanted to become a chef and the utopia on my mind was for everyone in the world to have the same meal at the same time, I like the feeling when I becomes we and we are on the same vessel of energy.
If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Kaldi. It would it be a nice full circle moment.
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone getting their start in the coffee industry today?
Use the 1:2 ratio. It means for every coffee you get, drink 2 cups of water.
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
