Within the face of blackouts and missile strikes, Ukraine’s cafés haven’t solely stored their doorways open—they’ve constructed methods 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 beneath a really completely different context.
After I first spoke to Iryna Makukha, communications coordinator for Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) Ukraine, I requested for her suggestions on how I needed to put in writing a narrative that mirrored how they see their very own each day lives on this phase—what actually issues to them, inside their very own context. She advised me we had been totally aligned. From the start, she and others locally had been clear: “We don’t need pity.”
What follows is the story they selected to inform—via 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 identification, hospitality, and social life, and formed by centuries of geopolitical affect. Within the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, through the enlargement of the Ottoman Empire, the cezve (or ibrik) technique of brewing espresso unfold throughout Japanese Europe, changing 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, beneath 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 related areas in Vienna, Budapest, and Kraków—the place coffee-drinking was related to dialogue, literature, and social commentary.
That legacy continues at this time. In conversations with Iryna, it grew to become clear how modern espresso tradition in Ukraine has taken on a necessary function in providing care, consolation, and social connection.
In response to SCA Ukraine, the variety of espresso outlets in Ukraine has elevated by 35% because the begin of the full-scale battle, making specialty espresso one of many few increasing sectors within the nation’s hospitality business. That might be a putting determine in any European nation—however on this context, it speaks to how collective effort has pushed surprising development.
“At first of the full-scale battle in 2022, cafés and low outlets grew to become the principle volunteer hubs in lots of cities,” Iryna shared with Barista Journal. “They supplied meals and drinks for the native navy and civilians, largely free of charge. Many was public kitchens, cooking meals to ship to de-occupied areas.”
“In Kyiv alone, over 500 folks from virtually 30 cafés united beneath 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 via the toughest moments. And it nonetheless does.”
In response to Iryna, round 10% of baristas have left the nation because the begin of the full-scale battle, however many proceed to assist from overseas, sending gear, gear, and ethical assist.
In 2024, 68% of Ukrainian espresso companies (per SCA Ukraine) reported difficulties in hiring and retaining workers, together with repeated blackouts and energy outages. Greater than 25% additionally cited emotional fatigue and a lack of motivation instantly linked to the battle.
Nonetheless, baristas and roasters preserve going, and prospects proceed to indicate up for them. The group has launched pop-ups, cocktail evenings, and fundraising occasions to assist these on the entrance traces. In a single marketing campaign, they raised funds to purchase a pickup truck for navy use. Many additionally put together drip luggage to be despatched to the entrance.
Some of the 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 house that introduced collectively displaced roasteries right into a shared roasting hub. At a time when many had misplaced their gear and areas, the group constructed a brand new spine for itself.
In the meantime, neighboring nations like Slovenia and Poland have develop into essential patrons of roasted-in-Ukraine espresso, serving to preserve provide chains transferring.
A Time for Innovation
Dealing with closed borders and restricted entry to international tendencies, the Ukrainian espresso group has developed inside constructions to continue learning and rising. SCA Ukraine’s Espresso Villages grew to become cell hubs for schooling, protecting every part from roasting and latte artwork to sensory evaluation.
Since 2023, the SCA has supported the Ukrainian chapter’s participation in international competitions, protecting journey and lodging. This yr, the Ukrainian staff attended the SCA Expo in Houston in April, and World of Espresso in Jakarta, Indonesia, in Could. The staff can also 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 yr 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 contributors every season within the nationwide championships throughout all seven SCA disciplines,” says Iryna. “Final time, registration stuffed up in lower than a day. And we’re comfortable to see an increasing number of new names among the many finalists.”
Even beneath siege, Ukrainian espresso professionals proceed to create. The Dotyk dripper (pictured beneath), which was developed through the battle, grew to become a logo of performance and emotional resilience. Its namesake occasion, the Dotyk Battle, raises funds for the navy whereas highlighting Ukrainian innovation and design.
And in 2025, Ukraine launched its first grasp’s program targeted 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 tutorial infrastructure to the nation’s rising physique of espresso data.
The best way that the Ukrainian espresso group has come collectively within the midst of battle is a mirrored image of how espresso is greater than a beverage: It’s a logo of collective care and group, able to bringing folks collectively no matter circumstance. Our ideas are with Ukraine’s espresso group 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 targeted on writing articles and options for varied worldwide espresso information retailers. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing nations akin to Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to review 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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