coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

I rarely stumble upon a beautiful cafe by chance. One perk of working for Sprudge is getting tapped into a global network of coffee professionals, making it pretty easy to find good coffee no matter where I travel. When it does happen by accident, it is serendipitous. Itโ€™s as though I were delivered to that cafe by some coffee deity, a single set of footprints carrying me at my most under-caffeinated. And so it was finding Coffeewerk and Press in Galway. Happening upon this Scandinavian-leaning oasis of coffee and design during an impromptu post-World Barista Championship trip to Irelandโ€™s western coast was a glorious gift from on high.

Located on the cobbled and often dewy Quay Street, Coffeewerk and Press is surrounded by shops and attractions unlike itself; the narrow street is chock full of knottily adorned โ€œThe So-and-So and So-and-Soโ€ pubs, Aran sweater shops, and street entertainers. The atmosphere is electric if not a little touristy. Amid all this foofaraw, Coffeewerkโ€™s 450-year-old yellow-and-white building stands out for its simplicity.

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

Inside the building, the aesthetic is cohesive and calm. All the walls are matter-of-factly white, with the shelving and coffee bar being comprised of only two materials: French oak and steel. Neither areย painted, but instead are treated with an organic oil to โ€œshow the honesty of the materials,โ€ as owner Daniel Ulrichs describes it. The white walls, French oak, and steel are staples of each of Coffeewerkโ€™s three floors, used in different measure to create three distinct but complementary areas.

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The first floor serves as the coffee bar and showroom for handcrafted sundries as well as postcards made by Ulrichsโ€™ yet-to-be-named printing company (run from the fourth floor). Thereโ€™s no seating on the first floor. Itโ€™s a gentle nudge to customers waiting for coffee to explore the shopโ€™s wares, thereby introducing them to Coffeewerkโ€™s thesis. โ€œ[Itโ€™s]ย a space created to showcase the overlap between Irish and international design and art while exploring the world of specialty coffee,โ€ Ulrichs explains, โ€œa place to create a dialogue between design, coffee, and the community.โ€

This dialogue continues upstairs on the second and third floors in a more design-forward way. Though also home to Coffeewerkโ€™s limited seatingโ€”a small bench here, a nice window ledge nook thereโ€”these floors serve ultimately to display additional works from the printing companyโ€™s international cadre of artists as well as craft-focused homewares from around the world, all hand-selected by Ulrichs. Items like hanging light fixtures, ceramics, and a variety of niche coffee table books can all be found on the well-curated upper floors, creating a laid-back atmosphere for enjoying a coffee and a pastry or a quiet conversation with a friend.

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

Back on the first floor, the coffee bar continuesย the international feel but focuses heavily on Scandinavian coffee culture, a gestureย present in the layout. The workspace is small, the bar top is uncluttered and openโ€”only two Kalita Wave brewers have a permanent home on the front bar. The remaining equipmentโ€”a two-group La Marzocco Linea PB, aย Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima-Pro espresso grinder, aย Mahlkรถnig EK 43 pour-over grinderโ€”is couched along the side bar, shifting the focus towards the manual brew station. Itโ€™s a physical representation of a very Nordic, filter-forward approach to coffee.

Inside the hoppers, Denmarkโ€™s The Coffee Collective anchors the multi-roaster coffee program, though it was by chance that the Scandinavian roaster found a home here. Asย with the rest of the items at Coffeewerk, Ulrichs emphasized quality and ethical production when choosing the cafeโ€™s primary roaster, and he found that the Coffee Collectiveโ€™s direct-trade buying model and hands-on training best aligned with his own ideals. With Coffee Collective providing the backbone, Coffeewerk regularly rotates in some of Europeโ€™s best roastersโ€”Tim Wendelboe, La Cabra Coffee Roasters, The Barn, Five Elephant Coffee, and Drop Coffee Roasters.

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

But because specialty coffee is still fairly new toย Galway, this world-class lineup doesnโ€™t quite have the pull that it mightย in Dublin or Amsterdam or New York. Ulrichs hopes that customer-focused events will help grow the specialty community and turn the tide in a city boastingย two Michelin-starred restaurants. Coffeewerk is doing its part by regularly hosting meet-ups with folks from La Cabra and Five Elephant, even bringing in former World Barista Champion and Coffee Collectiveโ€™s head trainer Klaus Thomsen twice last year. And Ulrichs believes it is working. โ€œSpecialty coffee is going from strength to strength in Galway, from independent cafes to restaurants starting to work with specialty coffee. There is a real community feeling emerging amongst businesses.โ€

Even as a leader in Galwayโ€™s growing specialty coffee movement, itโ€™s Coffeewerk and Pressโ€™s relative obscurity (internationally speaking) that made finding them so exciting. There was no hype, no weeklong anticipation leading up to the visit. There was just me walking down an unknown street, having my interest piqued by a startlingly clean design and my curiosity rewarded with a beautiful cup of coffee.

coffeewerk and press galway ireland west coast coffee collective la cabra drop scandinavian cafe sprudge

But this creates a dilemma in writing about a place like Coffeewerk. Though an excellent cafe, touting itย as such ruins any chance for that serendipitous happening-upon for those who follow in my footsteps. To those visiting Irelandโ€™s west coast that now know of Coffeewerk because of this article, I can only say, โ€œIโ€™m sorry,โ€ and also, โ€œyouโ€™re welcome.โ€

Coffeewerk and Press is located at 4 Quay Street, Galway, Ireland. Follow them on Facebookย and Instagram.

Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.

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