Blue Bottle Coffee: Kiyosumi, Tokyo

Coffee is about the blues.

Celebrated American coffee roaster Blue Bottle Coffee has invaded Japan—opening a 7,000-square-foot roastery that encompasses a cupping room, Loring SmartRoaster, kitchen, and an über-cool coffee bar that has customers lining up around the block.

Founder James Freeman, a freelance musician and coffee fanatic opened Blue Bottle in Oakland, California in 2002. Using a tiny six-pound batch roaster, Freeman’s aim was to start a roaster for others like us, those who would appreciate the taste of freshly roasted coffee.

The name Blue Bottle is actually an homage to Vienna’s first coffee house, Hof zur Blauen Flasche (“House under the Blue Bottle”). This “Blue Bottle” was founded in 1686 by Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki who helped defeat the Turks in the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The retreating Turkish army left behind sacks of coffee beans which, according to legend, Kulczycki ground up and started serving coffee to the Viennese.

Blue Bottle Coffee’s first shop outside of the U.S. is situated in a renovated Fukagawa factory, in a rather industrial neighbourhood. (Though you wouldn’t have guessed that by the aforementioned block-winding lines.) Coffee—be it espressos, cappuccinos, single origin brews, and iced coffee—are crafted and served by a mixed crew of Japanese and Californian baristas.

Coffee, as per Freeman’s promise when he began the company, is always served fresh—within 48 hours after roasting. Don’t miss out on the pastries too (the waffle is delicious) and sandwiches made with bread from Yoyogi-Uehara’s Katane Bakery.

This is a true haven for all coffee fanatics, even those, like us, who don’t hail from Japan.

1683年，鄂圖曼土耳其大軍圍攻維也納城失敗，
倉皇逃離時留下了許多糧食、帳篷、牲畜和一包神秘的豆子。
這包神秘的豆子後來被一位熟悉土耳其文化的波蘭商人哥辛斯基獲得，
并開設了中歐第一家咖啡館Hof zur Blauen Flasche。
（英文译作：House Under the Blue Bottle）
2002年美國的一位自由音樂家和咖啡愛好者James Freeman，
為了能喝到新鮮的好咖啡，在加州開始了一家小規模的豆子烘焙店，
并取名為藍瓶子Blue Bottle，用來紀念那位中歐咖啡之父和他的咖啡館。

去年二月，藍瓶子在東京開設了海外第一間分店。
這家分店不開在熱鬧的新宿、涉谷，反而開在住宅區清澄白河內；
雖然如此，慕名而來的朝聖人潮卻非常多，
那長長的人龍和當地周遭安靜的街道成了一道強烈的對比。
咖啡館里的裝潢簡單、乾淨、明亮，并帶點現代化工廠的味道，
其中有大部分的空間都用來放置豆子和機器，
供客人喝咖啡及用餐的座位其實並不多（以造訪人數的比例來說），
所以許多人都選擇人手一杯站著喝或外帶。
這裡咖啡的選擇有手沖、意式和冰咖啡。
從豆子的挑選、烘焙至沖煮，每一杯都是用心之作。
他們更是主打烘焙后不超過48小時的新鮮豆子，
老闆James Freeman覺得這是豆子的最佳鑒賞期。
至於食物方面則有簡單的甜品糕點，
除此之外店裡還出售新鮮烘焙的豆子、咖啡器材和一些伴手禮。
我喜歡他們那亮眼的藍瓶子設計，感覺非常時尚新穎，
在這裡，咖啡不止滿足了咖啡客的口腹之慾，
手裡拿著那亮眼的藍瓶子外帶杯，放佛也成了時尚的一部分呢。