Heather PlattIt might seem like we're already at the apex of coffee culture here in LA., but the city just got yet another upgrade to its caffeine scene. Counter Culture Coffee opened in Silver Lake this week, marking its 11th location nationwide. But don’t expect to stroll in for a cappuccino if you need a pick-me-up.
The North Carolina–based company doesn’t actually serve coffee to patrons. Instead, it functions as a wholesale coffee supplier, roaster and educator for chefs, restaurants, coffee shops and baristas looking to elevate their brewing game. Counter Culture's barista training program, Counter Intelligence, provides professional training for the employees of its wholesale clients.
But you don't have to be an elite member of the coffee industry to sip a cup of Counter Culture. In fact, you may have already gotten a taste of it at cafes and restaurants such as L&E Oyster Bar, Assembly, Kaldi Coffee, Tactile Coffee and Teuscher, to name a few. It likely will be offered at many more L.A. cafes in the near future. In addition to offering free coffee and espresso tastings to the public every Friday morning at 10 a.m., Counter Culture will be hosting coffee seminars.
Counter Culture Coffee in Silver Lake; Credit: Heather Platt
Amateur coffee aficionados hoping to improve their home brewing skills can sign up for introductory classes like Brewing Basics, which offers some of the same tools and techniques as the professional training program. The $75 classes, which include a ceramic pour-over dripper, filters and a $15 coupon to Counter Culture's web store, are intended to teach students about appropriate grind size and how to determine coffee-to-water ratios.
The L.A. training center, housed in a former hair salon adjacent to where the Silver Lake Farmers Market sets up, will be celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, July 16, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to come party with coffee tastings, brewing demonstrations and food from local partners, Wes Avila's Guerilla Tacos and Gelateria Uli.
Counter Culture, 1601 Griffith Park Blvd., Silver Lake; counterculturecoffee.com.
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