Journal — April 2022

Thank you for your generosity and support. Getting to bring the world’s best roasters home to each of you every month is such a privilege, but this month especially, I’m just really grateful. Svit Kavy is one of Ukraine’s best roasters, and it’s one of a couple of cafes around the world that is responsible for the depth of my love for coffee.

Right after college, I got the chance to teach English in Lviv. I spent all my free afternoons at Svit Kavy. I’d had good coffee before then, but sitting at the brew bar, something sparked in me. I was further away from home than I'd ever been at that point in my life, in a city where I only knew a few words, but coffee was this shared language that connected us. And as the barista (and soon my friend) Myroslav heated the kettle and got out the v60, it felt like I was home. That was the day I decided to spend the rest of my trip (and many more, it turns out) discovering more hidden gems like the one I’d discovered in Lviv.

Serendipitously, Svit Kavy means World of Coffee in Ukrainian, and that world of coffee was exactly what they opened up to me. It feels a bit strange to have made it this far without mentioning the war, but I guess that’s because I hope to give you a few moments to feel what I feel for Lviv, the team at Svit Kavy, and the people of Ukraine. Long before Putin invaded and they were in the news each day, Lviv was full of life, its streets bursting with culture, art, and cafes that couldn’t help but spill out into the streets. I’m thankful that in many ways, it’s still that way, although the city’s statues are bundled in protective gear, a lot of doors are barricaded, and way too many people are missing their loved ones. I don’t have any profound thoughts or new ideas, I’m just incredibly sad for the people of Ukraine.

I’m also hopeful though, and I’m amazed at their resiliency. Every day, Svit Kavy’s roaster Natalka posts a video with the caption “Keep working.” In addition to keeping their cafes going, they are now serving coffee to several hospitals treating those wounded in the war, as well as centers that are housing refugees. As of last week there are ~350,000 refugees from across the country sheltering in Lviv. If you’d like to donate, email me and we can send another round of donations their way.

These coffees were handpicked by Svit Kavy’s team and we all hope you love them. Right after they were roasted, Russia began attacking humanitarian corridors and fired at Lviv, so our plan (to have a driver take the coffee a few hours away to Poland) was paused. The attack caused more people to leave and the line at the border to grow. It took 3 false starts and then 2 days to get the coffee to DHL in Przemyśl but now it’s finally Stateside, and just in time to drink. Slava Ukrayini i dyakuyu!