Editors Note: Little did I know that when I asked Andrew Giambarba to do an update to the Miami Specialty Coffee scene for MIAbites, that I would get enough caffeine to last me a lifetime.  Andy loves his coffee as evidenced by his other MIAbites contributions including his search for coffee while on business trips to New Orleans ( http://www.miabites.com/home/2015/1/27/new-orleans-nola-coffee-single-origin ) and Orlando ( http://www.miabites.com/home/orlando-coffee-credo-lineage-chemex ) profiled here.  So without further comment here is Andy's latest on the unofficial, "In Search of Specialty Coffee": 

We are enjoying an amazing coffee moment, Miami. A LOT has happened since 2010. And more is on the way!

In 2010, Panther Coffee established itself in Wynwood and introduced Miami to the revolution of Specialty Coffee that had taken root in a handful of cities in the U.S. It was no small feat to break into a market full of ventanitas and coladas, but Panther has to this day continued to set the bar, make their mark and train a small army of baristas. They have educated thousands of us about the wonder of great coffee that doesn’t need milk or sugar and has the subtlety and nuances of a good wine. No small feat indeed.

In the last few years, Specialty Coffee has really taken root in Miami-Dade. There has been a marked rise in restaurants that genuinely care about their coffee programs. A small group of new roasters have moved into the 305 including Eternity Coffee Roasters, Relentless Coffee Roasters, Per’La Specialty Roasters and more are on the way. We have also been treated to some great cafes that have paid attention to both “how” to brew and “what” to brew. At the top of their game are Café Curuba in the Gables, Threefold Café in both Coral Gables and South Miami, Miam Café in Wynwood as well as The Grind Project next to the Hungry Bear across from Miami Dade College in Kendall. Between these new cafes and Panther’s three locations in Wynwood, Coconut Grove and Sunset Harbour Specialty coffee lovers in Miami are driving fewer miles for a great pourover, cold brew or espresso drink.

On everyone’s radar is the pending opening of All Day  by coffee badass Camila Ramos whose resume includes key roles at both Panther, Warsaw (in Fort Lauderdale) and winning regional barista competitions. The food and coffee she and her team rolled out at their pre-opening pop-ups was simply out of this world.

If you’re eager to learn more about coffee, taste different varieties and learn brewing methods a group of us are meeting once a month at different cafes to simply celebrate coffee. The meetings are “ecumenical” meaning no one roaster is pushed, no one method is declared “the best” nor is there any charge to come and try a variety of coffees. We organized it because we simply wanted a place where people could come and learn and try roasters and methods they might not have been exposed to before.

We are sure that more people trying Specialty Coffee means more people celebrating Specialty Coffee – and in true Miami style, we want this party to go on as long as it can. Our April meet-up is this Sunday April 24th at 3:30pm at Threefold Café on Giralda in Coral Gables. All are welcome. For more information and more pictures, follow @nowbrewing.coffee on Instagram or email me : andymiami@gmail.com.

Threefold Café  

141 Giralda Ave

Coral Gables, FL