If we ask ourselves: "What is coffee?", then we must board a time machine that transports us to the origins of mankind in order to fathom the traces to answer this question.
But what is it that keeps such an ancient fruit so modern and motivates us to make it accessible to you in such a sophisticated way? Wild-grown and untreated in its origins, regeneratively and multi-stage roasted and refined with love in a family business. This is our Next LEWEL® Coffee, but let's get to the bottom of the coffee itself!
Why is coffee a universal drink? Why do we love it?
Why is coffee in all its extraction variety so popular?
Why is coffee called the equivalent of gold?
Let's start with its discovery, history and creation, before moving on to its timeless benefits for us, our performance and our palates!
We at Next Lewel Up GmbH and our brand LEWEL UP® work with Giuseppe Lombardo and his family business in Sicily, where the coffee we source directly from small organic farms in Karnataka, India, where Robusta and Arabica naturally grow together. Giuseppe has been a professional coffee roaster for over 20 years. During his journey with coffee, he has come to know and love coffee from the origin of the plant to the aromatic extraction into the cup.
Legends about the coffee plant tell of its discovery by a pastor in what is now Yemen, who felt euphoric and full of energy in an unprecedented way after eating this previously unknown colorful red coffee fruit.
The pastor now wanted to bring this precious fruit to his regents, preserve it for the journey and continue to obtain the effective essence. So he apparently came up with the idea of roasting it. The monarchs were thus able to enjoy the drink, after consuming which they also felt more alert, concentrated and full of energy, a blessing that enabled them to better fulfill their obligations. From then on, the Yemenis referred to this drink as "QUHWA" (which means stimulating drink in Arabic).
But how did coffee get to Europe?
The traces of the stories of the Middle Ages lead us from the pastor to Venice, where the import of coffee in Europe is documented and the first café of the time is mentioned on the legendary Piazza San Marco in 1720. London, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Berlin followed as coffee importing cities. The green, brown gold becomes famous throughout Europe. The coffee plant and its diversity receive more and more attention.
1) Arabica: specified as an optimal coffee with a low caffeine content and a fruity, bitter note.
Grown and shipped from Central America, Asia and small areas of Africa.
2) Robusta: specified as a gourmet coffee with a high caffeine content and a nutty, bitter note.
Grown and shipped from India, Africa and Asia (Vietnam, etc.)
3) Liberica: born to compete and replace Arabica in flavor and characteristics, with rare success. Grown mainly in Liberia.
Arabica and Robusta have physical and aromatic differences, the Arabica bean is somewhat finer and slimmer in appearance and aroma, as well as caffeine content, the Robusta bean is more corpulent, not as fruity, but nuttier and richer in caffeine than its sister. They are blended in a harmonious interplay in what is typically Italian and known worldwide as the best coffee.
Is there such a thing as the perfect coffee?
