Where we go for coffee when we travel is often inspired by movies, literature, bloggers and now Instagrammers. According to Instagram, there are over 600 million users (and counting) as of December 2016. And did you know 75% of the users are outside of the US? So how do you stand out as an Instagrammer?
Adam Shoshani, a coffee enthusiast, an expat in Asia, a traveler, an ironman, and a graduate of Columbia University New York, puts his creativity to good use when he combines his love of travel and coffee on Instagram. This is something all businesses including CoffeeSphere can learn – using Instagram for business and leisure.
Here’s our interview with Adam:
1. We love your Instagram feed. In fact, that was how we contacted you. Can you tell our readers a little bit about how you came up with the idea of photographing your coffee cup in front of an iconic landmark?
I have always been a big fan of coffee and traveling. Growing up in Israel I remember going with my friends on weekend hiking trips around the country with one person always responsible for bringing a coffee set which we called a “pakal cafe,” including a portable gas stove, black coffee with cardamom and chocolate waffles. I guess that without even knowing, it was during those trips that I started associating coffee with travel and vice versa.
Back then, my Instagram account wasn’t focused, and coffee was just a part of it. It was back in 2012 when I started taking photos of my coffee cup in front of a view. I thought it was a cool way to travel, share a story with others and cherish a moment.
Later on, as I went to new places I also started to learn more about coffee and decided to dedicate my account to coffee and travel and to share those special coffee moments with others.
I have always believed that the two best ways to explore a new destination were to go out on the run or find a coffee spot, walk to it and experience everything on the way. I then began to talk more about the coffee, shared my traveling stories and tried to capture the moment with my friends.
The positive feedback I received from people and my love for traveling and coffee made me take this concept to the next level.
2. Where were you when you posted your first Instagram photo?
Back in 2012 when I was studying in NYC, I traveled to Argentina to surprise my brother who was traveling in Patagonia. I walked around Buenos Aires and found a small coffee shop in one of the city’s endless alleys.
I remember sitting at this cozy cafe, drinking an espresso and looking at the people and lively street in front of me, including a person playing the saxophone. Back then I didn’t think about this “raise your cup” concept but I wanted to try and capture that special moment in a special way. I took my first cup photo there, and so my account was born.
(Adam’s first coffee cup post with 21 likes and 0 comments.)
3. What do you do for a living?
Ever since I graduated college in NYC back in 2014, I was working in different countries and continents. Approximately one and a half years ago I joined a holding company based in Singapore and was sent to join one of the company’s investments in China.
I have been living in Singapore and then Shanghai working in a business development/project manager role. At the same time, I have been running some small projects together with my brother, one of them directly connected to coffee (stay tuned!).
(We discovered this post and contacted Adam, 1,082 likes and 62 comments.)
4. What’s your favorite type of coffee?
I guess it depends on the occasion. When I am traveling around by foot, and out in nature, I will almost always have that coffee set (“pakal cafe”) with me in my backpack. When I am sitting to work, study or read, I will have an Americano or pour-over. Lastly, whether after a meal, before a run, or just when I am in a rush I will have that single or double espresso.
5. How do you drink your coffee (with sugar, cream or black)?
I remember when I first moved to NYC I wasn’t used to the intense flavors of the coffee I tried (and admittedly my knowledge of coffee was pretty limited) so I had put 2 or 3 bags of sugar just to be able to finish my cup. Ever since, a lot has apparently changed (thankfully) and I drink my coffee black, no sugar or cream.
6. What is one coffee gear item (i.e., coffee machine, grinder, etc.) you can’t live without?
Since I’ve been traveling all the time it was quite difficult to get proper equipment and keep it with me. With every move, I had to sell things and buy them all over again in my new location. For my next destination, I plan to get a good espresso machine (dream is for a Slayer or La Marzocco GS3), but I will have to wait a few more months. Until then I am still taking my coffee set around the world, just like years ago when I started drinking coffee.
7. Which country has the best coffee shop/s?
This is a tough one. Every place I traveled to, from Singapore and China to Myanmar and Cambodia I found awesome cafes with great coffee and atmosphere. If I had to choose between two cities, they will have to be NYC and Tokyo. If I have to choose between these two, the winner will be NYC (but Tokyo is closing the gap!). Both have so many specialty cafes popping all over.
Happy times.
8. When drinking coffee, do you have a favorite food/snack/dessert to eat, and why?
Definitely! I love having salted chocolate chip cookies with any cup of coffee. Back at Columbia University, we used to have a Joe Coffee on campus where they served the best salted chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Ever since, wherever I see those cookies I order them. While I do love coffee, my love for chocolate (and salt) is there as well. I guess that it’s the mix of those flavors – of the coffee, the saltiness, and sweetness that combine to a perfect experience.
9. Favorite travel destination in the world and why?
Another tough one… I could say NYC, but since I lived there for five years, I don’t know if that would be fair. Putting NYC aside I would have to say that Tokyo is my favorite destination in the world. Japan as a country and Tokyo as a city are just so unique and magical. The “clash” of history, modernity, style, traditions, and culture is evident everywhere.
The people are great and kind, the sites are incredible, the food is delicious, the coffee is amazing and the list goes on. Every time I traveled there I used to wake up and just start walking around as there is so much to see and explore.
You can also easily go to other amazing cities such as Kyoto and Osaka using the Shinkansen bullet-train from Tokyo. Highly recommend going there if you haven’t already.
10. What direction do you see yourself in the coffee world?
I see myself learning more about coffee and making more coffee. As I mentioned beforehand, my brother and I are working on a cool project that we will release very soon.
On a very high level, we want to create a community of coffee-lovers which will share traveling stories through coffee moments while giving back to the coffee community. We are working on a product that will enable these two goals and make it fun for coffee lovers to be engaged and active. We are both very excited about it.
Remember to connect with Adam on Instagram at adams_coffee and be on the look out for his new coffee project.
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