Within the face of blackouts and missile strikes, Ukraine’s cafés haven’t solely stored their doorways open—they’ve constructed techniques of solidarity and resistance.
BY ISABELLE MANI
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured picture courtesy of Optima-Klassic
I first reported on Ukraine’s blooming specialty-coffee scene again in 2020. On the time, the nation’s cafés had been increasing quickly: symbols of youth, tradition, and rising worldwide engagement. 5 years later, I’m reporting on those self same communities below a really totally different context.
Once I first spoke to Iryna Makukha, communications coordinator for Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) Ukraine, I requested for her suggestions on how I wished to write down a narrative that mirrored how they see their very own every day lives on this phase—what really issues to them, inside their very own context. She informed me we had been absolutely aligned. From the start, she and others in the neighborhood had been clear: “We don’t need pity.”
What follows is the story they selected to inform—by way of cafés that by no means closed, competitions that carried on, creatives who stored inspiration alive, and a tradition of hospitality that continues to carry folks collectively.
An Unbreakable Tradition
Espresso in Ukraine has lengthy been tied to cultural id, hospitality, and social life, and formed by centuries of geopolitical affect. Within the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, through the growth of the Ottoman Empire, the cezve (or ibrik) technique of brewing espresso unfold throughout Japanese Europe, turning into a part of home life in lots of areas, together with what’s now southern and central Ukraine.
By the 18th and nineteenth centuries, below Austro-Hungarian rule, cities like Lviv and Chernivtsi developed vibrant café cultures impressed by the Viennese mannequin. These cafés grew to become gathering locations for intellectuals, artists, and political thinkers—mirroring comparable areas in Vienna, Budapest, and Kraków—the place coffee-drinking was related to dialogue, literature, and social commentary.
That legacy continues at present. In conversations with Iryna, it grew to become clear how up to date espresso tradition in Ukraine has taken on a vital function in providing care, consolation, and social connection.
Based on SCA Ukraine, the variety of espresso outlets in Ukraine has elevated by 35% for the reason that begin of the full-scale warfare, making specialty espresso one of many few increasing sectors within the nation’s hospitality business. That may be a putting determine in any European nation—however on this context, it speaks to how collective effort has pushed surprising progress.
“Originally of the full-scale warfare in 2022, cafés and low outlets grew to become the primary volunteer hubs in lots of cities,” Iryna shared with Barista Journal. “They offered meals and drinks for the native army and civilians, principally without spending a dime. Many changed into public kitchens, cooking meals to ship to de-occupied areas.”
“In Kyiv alone, over 500 folks from virtually 30 cafés united below a big gastronomic group known as Kyiv Volunteers—and in March 2022, they had been feeding about 15,000 folks a day,” Iryna continues. “That feeling of unity and involvement helped us get by way of the toughest moments. And it nonetheless does.”
Based on Iryna, round 10% of baristas have left the nation for the reason that begin of the full-scale warfare, however many proceed to assist from overseas, sending tools, gear, and ethical assist.
In 2024, 68% of Ukrainian espresso companies (per SCA Ukraine) reported difficulties in hiring and retaining employees, together with repeated blackouts and energy outages. Greater than 25% additionally cited emotional fatigue and a lack of motivation instantly linked to the warfare.
Nonetheless, baristas and roasters maintain going, and clients proceed to point out up for them. The neighborhood has launched pop-ups, cocktail evenings, and fundraising occasions to assist these on the entrance strains. In a single marketing campaign, they raised funds to purchase a pickup truck for army use. Many additionally put together drip baggage to be despatched to the entrance.
One of the vital impactful initiatives Iryna described was the roasters’ co-working facility organized by the !FEST Espresso Mission (opened in June 2018 in Lviv, Ukraine), in a garage-like area that introduced collectively displaced roasteries right into a shared roasting hub. At a time when many had misplaced their tools and areas, the neighborhood constructed a brand new spine for itself.
In the meantime, neighboring nations like Slovenia and Poland have turn out to be essential patrons of roasted-in-Ukraine espresso, serving to maintain provide chains shifting.
A Time for Innovation
Going through closed borders and restricted entry to international tendencies, the Ukrainian espresso neighborhood has developed inside constructions to continue to learn and rising. SCA Ukraine’s Espresso Villages grew to become cell hubs for schooling, overlaying every part from roasting and latte artwork to sensory evaluation.
Since 2023, the SCA has supported the Ukrainian chapter’s participation in international competitions, overlaying journey and lodging. This 12 months, the Ukrainian staff attended the SCA Expo in Houston in April, and World of Espresso in Jakarta, Indonesia, in Might. The staff can be set to attend the World of Espresso occasion in Geneva, Switzerland, in June.
In 2024, Ivan Bilousov of Kyiv’s Idealist Espresso Co. received third place on the World Cezve/Ibrik Championship. A 12 months earlier, Andriy Vasiliev earned bronze within the World Cup Tasters Championship, and that very same season marked the primary time a Ukrainian competitor reached the semifinals of the World Barista Championship.
“Since 2023, we’ve had practically 200 individuals every season within the nationwide championships throughout all seven SCA disciplines,” says Iryna. “Final time, registration crammed up in lower than a day. And we’re glad to see increasingly new names among the many finalists.”
Even below siege, Ukrainian espresso professionals proceed to create. The Dotyk dripper (pictured beneath), which was developed through the warfare, grew to become an emblem of performance and emotional resilience. Its namesake occasion, the Dotyk Battle, raises funds for the army whereas highlighting Ukrainian innovation and design.
And in 2025, Ukraine launched its first grasp’s program centered on espresso: a part of the Know-how of Subtropical Merchandise diploma on the Nationwide College of Chernivtsi. With a devoted analysis lab and its first cohort already underway, this system brings formal educational infrastructure to the nation’s rising physique of espresso information.
The best way that the Ukrainian espresso neighborhood has come collectively within the midst of warfare is a mirrored image of how espresso is greater than a beverage: It’s an emblem of collective care and neighborhood, able to bringing folks collectively no matter circumstance. Our ideas are with Ukraine’s espresso neighborhood and the resilience and fortitude they’ve displayed, one cup at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabelle Mani (she/her) is a author, journalist, and communicator specializing within the worldwide espresso business. Since 2017, she has centered on writing articles and options for numerous worldwide espresso information shops. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing nations equivalent to Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to check and analysis espresso. She holds coaching certifications from the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) and the Espresso High quality Institute (Arabica Q Grading).
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