TAKAMURA WINE + COFFEE with Takuya Okita

TAKAMURA WINE + COFFEE

with Takuya Okita

My visit to Takamura was nothing short of pleasant surprises. Before stumbling into the quaint warehouse space on this Osaka side street, I had no idea what to expect. After a few minutes of slowly making my way through the aisles of coffee bags and vintage wines, I was approached by a very excited barista from behind the counter, offering a hand. With the amount of roasts they had on the shelves, I’m sure he could tell I was lost.

We got chatting. I shared about my project, and what brought me to Osaka. My new friend was super informative about the collaborations they had going on with wine and coffee, explaining how the owner, Matsu Makoto, who had been involved with wine production and distribution for many years began to see many similarities with the world of coffee, as you might imagine. This lead to the opening of the roastery 2 years ago, and they now source beans from a wide range of origins.

By this point, we were walking right in front of the illustrious Geisha from Panama, La Esmaralda.

“Wow, so here’s an expensive roast…” as I pick up a bag.

“Have you ever tried the Geisha before?”

“No, I don’t even know much about it,” I said ashamedly.

I saw his eyes light up. The next thing I know, he’s ushering me around to the bar while giving instructions to the other barista.

“Let’s do a cupping!”

A small clear cup is placed in front of me on the counter as a proper dose of ground coffee is dumped in. The cup is filled with hot water, and a timer with 4 min is set.

At this point, after breaking the crust, sniffing the coffee, sipping the brewed coffee from the spoon, I couldn’t tell you exactly what it tasted like… or I’d have to kill you, but it was pretty damn nice. The presentation definitely blew me away, and I was amazed by the willingness of these guys to show me this one-of-a-kind experience. But being in Japan, I don’t know what else I should have even expected.

Huge Arigatou to Takuya for walking me through the space, and giving me a taste of the high life. He can be found on IG, @batchgoodcoffee, or behind the bar at Takamura’s multi-level space in Kyomachibori, Osaka.