We explore three standout Brooklyn cafés: drip, BKG, and Coffee Project New York.
BY EMILY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Cover photo by Nelson Ndongala via Unsplash
Whether you’re a New York local or planning your next NYC trip, you won’t want to miss out on Brooklyn’s vibrant (and constantly evolving) coffee scene. Today, we’re exploring three of Brooklyn’s standout cafés: drip, BKG, and Coffee Project New York.
drip coffee makers
After abandoning a career in finance, Nigel Price decided to pursue his passion for coffee by spending over a decade working in several NYC coffee shops. During this time, he developed a network of like-minded coffee professionals, becoming part of a community of baristas, roasters, owners, and coffee buyers.
“The multi-roaster pourover-centric model for drip coffee makers was born out of years on the bar, and my favorite shifts were when someone brought in a bag of coffee and we dialed it in,” Nigel shares. In 2018, to prove the concept that prioritized the ”slow bar,” he began popping up all over Brooklyn and Manhattan with a custom coffee cart, equipped with a Mahlkonig EK43 and some V60 pourovers, to share the nuances of small-lot and single-origin coffees—one cup at a time.
By January 2020, drip opened its first brick-and-mortar location. Three years later, there are now four locations throughout the city: in Bushwick, Brooklyn Heights, SoHo, and Williamsburg.
BKG Coffee
Small-batch coffee roasting company BKG was founded by three brothers, who trace the start of their journey to a Brooklyn apartment in 2003. Here, they roasted their first batch of coffee—an experiment that would transform their interest in coffee from a hobby into what they now call a “full-fledged coffee obsession.” The brothers would eventually launch their own solar-powered roastery, followed by their innovation lab and flagship store.
“Our flagship store is located on Myrtle Ave. in Clinton Hill,” Craig Farrelly of BKG shares. “It’s been a neighborhood staple for over 10 years serving the local community and nearby Pratt Institute. We offer a coffee-centric menu highlighting our seasonal coffees from single origins to our classic blends. The shop’s menu also includes our ready-to-drink cans, single-serve coffees, and packaged retail bags.”
“At BKG, we are dedicated to the unyielding pursuit of coffee perfection,” he continues. “(And) after all these years, we’re still family-run with a passion for our craft and community.”
Coffee Project New York
Founded in 2015 by ChiSum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh, Coffee Project New York started in the East Village, and their downtown Brooklyn location opened in 2018. What sets Coffee Project New York apart is that it isn’t just a cafe, but also an education center. CPNY’s Long Island City location includes New York’s only Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Training Campus. The campus offers classes on latte art, pourovers, tasting, and more to both coffee professionals and home brewers alike.
CPNY was named TimeOut New York’s “Most Loved Coffee Shop” in 2016, 2018, and 2021, and they’ve continued to cultivate a loyal local following over the years. Their Brooklyn location is located in Fort Greene—be sure to stop by to try their nitro float!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Based in Los Angeles, Emily Meneses (she/her) is a writer and musician passionate about culture and collective care. You can regularly find her at Echo Park Lake, drinking a cortado and journaling about astrology, art, Animal Crossing, and her dreams.
