“In Mexico, there is a popular saying – coffee smells better than it tastes.”
Or so Guadalupe Delgadillo thought.
It took a local Mexican Guerrero double espresso with milk to change her mind. In the middle of a busy open market full of fresh fruit and vegetables, the fresh scent of ground coffee stopped her in her tracks in the hunt for almonds. It was sweet, smooth, delicious, life-changing, and from that moment, Guadalupe knew that her coffee experience would never be the same.
Guadalupe Delgadillo
Captivated by that first cup of specialty coffee, Guadalupe Delgadillo found that she was not alone – Mexico had a vibrant, kind, and eager coffee community full of enthusiasts who were more than happy to answer all her questions about what made coffee taste so good. Visiting specialty coffee bars, which were aplenty in Mexico, each opened more and more doors to the myriad of Mexican coffee regions and producers.
Then Covid-19 happened. Guadalupe was not going to let the global pandemic stop her love and passion for coffee from coming to a complete halt. As a freelance graphic designer and a mother, she juggled a full-time job, caring and raising her daughter, and continuing to enrich the coffee community with coffee illustrations that have graced clothing, mugs, to even wall clocks and yoga mats! For anyone whose coffee addictions permeates every facet of their lives, her designs are not to be missed!
Having come across the wonderful local coffee community, Guadalupe continued to advocate for the local coffee producers, roasters, and coffee bars by setting up a blog simply named “Cafeina Ilustrada” or “Illustrated Coffee”. This is her way of introducing specialty coffees to beginners and sharing her experiences at different coffee bars, which will be continued after covid19.
Instead of depending on coffee bars, Guadalupe has turned her hand to making her own coffee every day. She professes that she is “not a barista,” but during this special season, she “officially” became a barista and has interesting experiences along the way – let’s not deny it – we’ve all run out of paper filters before and had to improvise!
From someone who once believed that “coffee smelt better than it tasted” to one who states that “if everyday tasted like coffee, the better it is!”, Guadalupe has transformed her life into one that she says is
“measured in cups of coffee.”
Everyone’s coffee journey is unique to the individual, and for her, the pandemic brought a specific blessing in the sense that she has deepened her appreciation and enjoyment for coffee by learning brewing coffee herself.
Guadalupe remains hopeful for the future of coffee in Mexico, even if there are concerns that coffee producers and roasters would struggle during the economic crisis. By highlighting and featuring the fantastic coffee coming from Mexico, she looks forward to a time when the specialty coffee bars reopen. She can share the experience and the goodness of Mexican coffee beans with others from all around the globe.
Article by Paul
