Last Friday I did a thing and went to the Amsterdam Coffee Festival in, well, Amsterdam!
Okay, so let me tell you a bit of a short story about why this is significant. Ever since I was 10 years old (the first time I was given a chance to taste coffee) up until I was 24, I hated coffee with a passion. The only time I would engage with the forbidden fruit I know as coffee would be if it was a frappuccino. Annnnd funny story, I actually worked as a barista when I was around 18 to 19 and I enjoyed it so much that I aimed to get a Sage machine, despite not liking coffee (maybe my higher self knew before I knew, lol). My main gripe with coffee for the longest time was that it was waaaay too bitter. Little did I know, I had just tasted the wrong coffee, and that left such a long lasting hatred.
Anyhoo, somehow I decided to give coffee a try and actually found one that I enjoyed when I was 25 years old and I have been hooked ever since. However, moka pots was my go to way to making coffee and I used Illy coffees (they do taste great, by the way) until I turned 30 and got myself a beautiful Sage Barista Express. I slowly got into different sorts of beans, and it’s been two years now and I’m still very much learning about coffee as a whole.
As the universe would have it, I heard about the Amsterdam Coffee Festival about three years back and decided I was going to give it a go this time!
The Ticket & What It Includes
I booked my ticket during September 2025 and went for the one-day VIP ticket pass which was priced at € 36.00 pp (super early bird price) . The ticket includes full-day access, fast-track entry, a tote bag plus merch (an espresso shot cup and a custom T-shirt designed by a local artist), one coffee cocktail, and unlimited tastings. I had been waiting for this event for a while, and honestly, the excitement got me through the dark times of winter. Then spring arrived, and I braved the spring allergies and went, snots and all!
Arriving at the Festival
It was a beautiful sunny day in Amsterdam. I arrived with my husband and we walked to the ferry station, took the wrong ferry, returned back, took the right one, and off we headed on a 15-minute journey via the ferry. We arrived at the other side, walked for five minutes, and we were there! The whole event is indoors, so don’t worry about any weather changes. I promise you, you will be in there for at least 4 to 5 hours (more if you opt for any of the paid crash courses, which I talk more about below).
The Samplings & Standout Brands
When we entered, we had our first sample at Stean’s Coffee. They had samples of their Kirimara, which is a Kenyan light roast, and the tasting notes were described as “sunshine breaking through the clouds”, don’t really know what that means but it was a good start to my sampling adventure, I’ll just put it at that 😛
Our next stop was Guatemalan Coffee, where I had a knowledgeable chat with one of their coffee producers. One of the team members gave us multiple samples to drink from their different coffee producers as well.
Then we moved over to Alpro, where I had their Iced Pandan Matcha Latte and my husband had their Swicy (no, it’s not a typo) Oat Cocoa. Both were regular-sized sample drinks. They were so good that I went again later at the end to grab a second one. I also talked to the Alpro Ambassador, Merijn Gijsbers, and I didn’t know at the time that he was the ambassador, so that was pretty cool!
After that, I went about my merry way and had loads of coffee samples. There were also multiple tea, kombucha, matcha, and even chocolate and baked goods brand booths with tons of samplings, so if you’re not really into coffee, like my husband, there is something for you! I also checked out Sage (how could I not?) and asked them a few questions about my machine, to which I got some very useful pointers.
Other Notable Mentions
Oatly had a really big booth and was serving regular-sized drinks as samples. They had day-specific specials, and since I went on the second day of the festival, their special that day was a Rose and Cardamom Coffee Cloud. I had it three times, so that should tell you how good it was.
NomadChai is a local handmade chai latte specialist. My husband got their masala chai brew concentrate (you mix this with your milk and then steam it), which came with a small sachet of “chai dust” to be topped on the latte. They had some samples as well, and to be honest, as someone who prefers to make my own homemade masala chai, I actually really enjoyed it and could see myself purchasing it personally as well.
Rudy Kombucha is also worth trying. They are a small company producing tea-based kombuchas that don’t taste vinegary at all and have no preservatives. I had tried one supermarket kombucha before and it was bitter, but that isn’t the case with Rudy’s Kombucha. They also don’t offer their products in supermarket chains, as they do not want to mass produce their kombucha, which ensures their quality isn’t compromised (I was told this when I asked if they offered it at my local supermarket). They have quite a lot of flavours, and my personal favourites are the Pear Kombucha and the Mango & Passion Fruit Kombucha. Their focus seems to be on non-alcoholic tea-based kombucha, but they also have four flavours for alcohol-based kombuchas. Also, a cute fun fact: the founders Daria and Egor named their company after their dachshund, Rudy!
Lastly, Lanka Coffee. I didn’t taste their coffee because I was already high on caffeine by the time I got to them, but I really love the story behind their brand. The owner was born in Sri Lanka and adopted by Dutch parents, and he created a brand fuelled by the bond to his home country and Dutch entrepreneurship. Through his company, he also supports local Sri Lankan coffee farmers and invests in the betterment of quality of life in their communities.
The Latte Art Crash Course
At the end, I went for a mini crash course on latte art, which was live (everyone could see it and it was displayed on a big screen). There are time-slotted sessions for this and they are paid. You can pick your preferred time slot when you book. These sorts of mini crash courses are categorised under “Bookable Experiences” and you can purchase them online when you purchase the ticket or even closer to the event days when you are notified by email.
The Latte Art Live session was led by Caitlin McArdle (European Matcha Latte Art Champion 2025 and also winner of the Amsterdam Coffee Festival Matcha Latte Art competition in 2025). She led a very lovely and informative crash course on latte art. We also had two chances to pour our own latte art. One was hands on with her and the other was on our own. It was a really nice experience because there’s definitely a difference between being taught latte art hands on versus watching it online. The whole course lasted about 40 minutes.
A Few Things to Note
Now, there were some cons. They aren’t dealbreakers, but just a few things I noticed that could have some improvements.
First, there seems to be little difference between a session ticket and a VIP day ticket. The only real distinction is that the VIP day ticket gets you the tote bag, shirt, and espresso shot cup, plus one coffee cocktail. To be honest, with all the samplings you’ll be having, the free cocktail feels a bit redundant. The shirt is okay, the quality is mediocre, and the espresso shot cup is cute, but it only holds a single shot. Also, the Amsterdam Coffee Festival website states that the day pass gives entry to one session (AM, MID, or PM), while the VIP day ticket gives you full access from the start of the festival until the end. But there was no way for them to tell who had a VIP ticket and who had a session ticket, because there were no wristbands or anything like that.
Another thing: the food sold by the food trucks was quite pricey relative to the portion sizes. I understand that festival pricing generally runs higher to cover operational costs, but it’s still worth keeping in mind so you can plan ahead. Maybe have a meal before or after the festival and treat the food trucks as more of a snack stop.
That pretty much covers the cons for me.
After the festival, we took the ferry back and went for dinner at a place called Gaja Korean BBQ & Bar. Once we were done, we took a slow stroll back to the train station and I fell asleep on the train (yes, caffeine can’t come between me and my sleep. Superpower?).
So, Will I Be Going Back?
You bet I will, because I had tons of fun, loads of delicious samplings, and some really good chats with loads of people.
So yes, I will be going again and dragging my not-so-coffee-loving husband with me. I will also be looking to splurge on some good beans and tea (because as much as I love coffee, tea got to my heart first :P). I’m also looking to enrol in an Bookable Experience next year, so hopefully there’s something exciting to choose when the tickets go live again for 2027!
Just follow them on Instagram @amsterdamcoffeefestival or check out their website: amsterdamcoffeefestival.com and sign up for their newsletter for announcements on when the tickets are released for 2027!
So, will I see you there next year?
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2 Comments
Tan Wei Ling
I wish we had such a coffeefestival here! You are very lucky.
Minaa
Auww thank you, yes I’m grateful for it everyday. I hope there is one in the future where you live! where are you from? 🙂