Amor Perfecto Cafe, Colombia

Founded in 1997, Amor Perfecto is one of Colombia’s pioneering specialty coffee roasters. From their base in Bogotá, their reach is beginning to expand outside of the country as well (their coffee is now available through Amazon – though I’d try to find a fresher source myself). I lucked out when I visited as the two guys behind the counter were none other than Diego Campos, who competed for Colombia in last year’s World Barista Championship, and Nicolas Rico, who competed 2014. If you can’t tell from the photos below, these national barista champions are both a lot of fun and exude a serious passion for showcasing Colombian specialty coffee to local and international audiences.

The cafe is located not far from the Zona G neighborhood (G for Gourmet, among other things), where you’ll likely make at least one stop on your trip. Inside, the sunlit space with big couches and diner-esque seats is a perfect spot to start your day or take an afternoon coffee break. They also do whiskey and coffee pairings if you want to take your coffee break to the next level.

Amor Perfecto uses only Colombian single origin coffees, primarily sourced from four farms:

FINCA LOS NARANJOS, ANTIOQUIA
FINCA TAMANA, HUILA
FINCA CAMPO ALEGRE, HUILA
FINCA BUENAVISTA, CAUCA

The cafe is also outfitted with a coffee lab, training equipment, and a public education space (their high volume roastery is located off site). Like other specialty roasters in Colombia, there’s an inspiring missional sense about these spaces – they serve more than a business objective, they provide education and build a culture and community around specialty coffee from farmer, to barista, to consumer. It’s hard not to get inspired and excited about what’s happening with Colombia’s coffee scene!