Abuela Mami Coffee A Shot of Local Sabor

In the ever-expanding world of craft coffee culture, there’s a new player in South Florida that reflects both the visual nostalgia of mid-century Miami and the flavors we embrace in powerful, dark cafecitos that fuel home and the workplace.

Roasted in Miami, Abuela Mami Coffee is a medium-dark roast of certified organic, 100% arabica whole beans, the latest offering from Kiki Valdes, who founded his subscription box service with his brother three years ago. “This is how our grandparents enjoyed coffee in 1950s Cuba,” he says. “It’s smooth, non-acidic, and doesn’t give you the jitters, just a nice energy.” The beans are certified organic and come from Honduras, which Valdes says is "the most like Cuba" of coffee-producing countries.

Valdes has wanted to create his own coffee brand for the past three years. Unlike his subscription service, aimed at Cubans living outside of South Florida who are longing for guava paste, Maria cookies, Jupiña and sazon completa, Abuela Mami Coffee is meant for everyone – locals who want a good cafecito but also great drip coffee. The whimsically designed bags show directions for making both, from grinding the beans (medium setting for Americano, very fine for cafecito cubano) to making the espuma, the caramel-colored foam at the top of a cafecito.