The Coffee Culture of South Florida
There is no denying the staying power of the almighty cafecito in South Florida. Bustling window nooks serving up these sugar-infused Cuban coffees have been institutions since the Cuban Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, when masses of Cubans fled their homeland for the US, bringing their coffee preferences with them.
South Florida still loves its speedy cafecitos, cortaditos (espresso with steamed milk), and café con leches, typically grabbed on the go from time-tested staples like Miami’s Versailles Cuban Restaurant. However, today there is a different energy emerging, courtesy of a handful of budding coffee roasters. It is an energy that invites you to “sit down, chill out, and let’s enjoy something new together.” Therefore, from experiential and flavor perspectives, there is a lot brewing throughout the region.
Now Pouring in Palm Beach
Subculture Coffee’s original location is nestled on West Palm Beach’s increasingly artsy artery, Clematis Street. The expansive cafe is directly across from the town’s Brightline station, the region’s sparkling, high-speed rail system that connects West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
A fire-engine red Dietrich roaster greets Subculture guests upon arrival, where Ethiopian, Mexican, and Brazilian roasts, among others, are perfected daily. This spot serves up a mean latte – often topped with floral or seasonal-inspired latte art – which can be enjoyed inside the cafe’s bustling atmosphere or on its mural-clad patio. Since opening in early 2014, Subculture has also evolved into a community hub with locations in nearby Jupiter and Delray Beach.
Broward County Brews
Just 30 miles north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale is known for its canal-filled landscape, white sand beaches, and abundant yachts. Amid its historic allure, Flagler Village neighborhood is thriving. This area, approximately 2.5 miles inland and a stone’s throw west of US 1, is decorated with graffiti art, independent shops, and quirky destinations (like a PBR-stocked barbershop and video game bar).
Smack-dab in the middle of this colorful neighborhood is Wells Coffee Company, which has called Flagler Village home since 2014. Its bright and open space features a significant roasting operation and a modern, sleek coffee bar.
A massive menu board with five simple options like ‘Drip’ and ‘Pour Over’ welcomes Wells’ customers. However, the flavors within these simple offerings are complex and memorable. Can’t-go-wrongs include rotating pour-over selections (no cream or sugar needed with vibrant beans from Ethiopia, Honduras, and Guatemala) and the White Cold Brew, a perfectly sweet blend of cold brew coffee and horchata. Wells also partners with several cafes, including nearby Brew Urban Café, which features plenty of Instagram-worthy opportunities. Housed in a warehouse-esque, train trackside space, Brew Urban Café displays a colorful array of antique books behind its buzzing espresso bar.
A few miles north, in the city of Oakland Park, is SwitchBox Coffee Roasters. Since mid-2016, this roasting operation has occupied a railway-adjacent corner shop. This spot captures the essence of community, regularly hosting monthly gatherings along with coffee-centric educational events like home-brewing classes and cuppings with the roaster. If the classes and massive Probat roaster aren’t convincing enough, try one of their seasonal, barista-inspired creations, like the Winter Cookie Latte (Biscoff cookie butter, two shots of espresso, and milk topped with allspice).
Miami’s Specialty Mainstay
Often overlooked amid Miami Beach’s glamour and Wynwood’s artsy edge is Downtown Miami. Depending on the day and time, it can resemble a Central American capital city – with rustic souvenir shops and graffiti-clad steel roll-up doors that close when the sun goes down, all lying in the shadows of towering financial buildings.
For those in Downtown and Brickell towers, Eternity Coffee Roasters is the neighborhood shop, serving as a destination for coffee enthusiasts. Eternity’s storefront is layered with windows, showcasing a dark-red San Franciscan roaster that greets passersby. A handful of brown chairs line the outer windows, offering a great view of the bustling street life. Brown sacks of unroasted coffee from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Burundi cycle regularly around the roaster.
Beyond its cozy aesthetics, which include a massive red couch, Eternity’s single-origin offerings are showcased prominently. Sweet treats like The Traitor (a twist on a white chocolate mocha named after Lebron James) are always a crowd-pleaser, but a fresh cup from Eternity’s V60 pour-over bar has been a must since 2011.
The Beans that Fuel Wynwood
Two miles north of Eternity lies Panther Coffee in the heart of Wynwood. Surrounded by endless street art, spray-painted sidewalks, and a crowd of creative types on laptops in the cafe’s massive patio, you can’t help but wonder how much of this neighborhood’s artsy vibe is directly fueled by Panther beans.
Founded in 2011, Panther has since expanded to Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, MiMo, and Little Haiti. However, none of these spots are as much of a spectacle as its Wynwood location. While a chunk of its roasting now occurs at a facility in Little Haiti, a Perfekt-brand roaster still brews coffee on-site for all of Wynwood to enjoy.
Amid a rotating selection of single-origin brews from places like Bolivia and Nicaragua, Panther’s cold brew is perfect for the typical, sweaty Miami day. Available classic or Nitro, the malted chocolate and vanilla-clad brew offer the ideal jolt and refreshing retreat from the heat.
In essence, Panther, like all of South Florida’s coffee-roasting hotspots, embodies the specialty coffee ethos: a sense of community, a respect for the craft, and, importantly, some truly exceptional coffee.
