Growing up in an Arabic household in Bahrain, you could say that Nasser probably drank coffee without thinking anything about it. Everyone in his family drank coffee. After all, the Arabian Peninsula was one of the earliest birthplaces of coffee cultivation and trade. However, it took him to go on a holiday to Saudi Arabia to discover and fall in love with specialty coffee.
Nasser Mohamed
As with many coffee lovers, a single cup of specialty coffee was enough not to open Nasser Mohamed’s eyes to the beautiful world of specialty coffee, but also to decide to make it a passion and a career. He started off as a waiter and barista and ended up running his own cafe business.
Day-to-day business for Nasser keeps him on his toes as it changes daily. Business revolves around working with local coffee shops, staff training, and quality control. But his favorite part of being in the coffee business is still meeting like-minded people to talk about what else – coffee! He also enjoys spreading the specialty coffee culture and tasting new coffees that come his way. It is difficult, though, as specialty coffee culture is still quite new in Bahrain, and it is challenging to spread this new wave of coffee culture in a place where coffee already has a strong following.
Whether it is creating latte art, plunging an Aeropress, or stirring coffee grounds to brew, it is obvious that Nasser is 100% drawn to the process at hand. Focused eyes stare intently from behind round-rimmed glasses and time slows to a crawl, and it is evident that Nasser intends to create the best cup of coffee at that moment, for that moment.
Nasser loves traveling, and his coffee journey had taken him to many places and experiences in the search for a great coffee, including his proudest moment when he won the 2019 Bahrain Aeropress Championships and got to represent his country in London for the 2019 World Aeropress Championship Finals.
Nasser at 2019 World Aeropress Championship
For him, success means believing in yourself and learning something new on a daily basis. When not on the road or in a different country, Nasser draws inspiration from the little things in life, as well as his family and friends who remain his constant support in life. He also loves swimming and playing football, as well as dabbling in photography and videography.
Article by Paul Wong
