Drift Volume 8: London

Drift is about coffee, the people who drink it, and the cities they inhabit. Our collection of writers and photographers, alongside coffee shop owners, baristas, streetcart vendors, and patrons, capture a glimpse of what it’s like to drink coffee in a city at the time the magazine is printed. Each issue highlights a different city.

The British capital has become an unlikely hotbed for a rapidly evolving coffee scene, absorbing diverse influences from its increasingly diverse citizenry. Home to deeply entrenched tea culture, the development of the city mirrors the development of its booming coffee scene. As the younger generation welcomes coffee traditions from Brooklyn, Melbourne, Turkey, and more, London, home of the royal family, iconic red phone booths, and double-decker buses, grapples with its identity. In this issue, we explore how tea-crazy London went mad for coffee and how its integration of international coffee-savvy experts is changing as Brexit looms. Featuring potters, flat white-pouring Aussies, refugees, and expats, Volume 8 holds a magnifying glass to London, England.

Drift: London includes:

How a tea nation became coffee-obsessed in the first place
How London’s affinity for newness led to rampant pop-up culture
Photo essay of London bikers queueing for their morning cups
How roasters in England are rewriting the script on responsible sourcing
How public transport and coffee fuel the global capital
And more..