Coffee Roasters in Lebanon: Specialty Beans and Arabic Coffee
AdvisorLB Team
For decades Lebanese coffee meant cardamom-spiced Arabic coffee or instant Nescafé. The past 10 years brought a wave of specialty roasters — small operations roasting weekly batches and selling whole bean or freshly ground at the door.
Reading a coffee bag
- Origin: single-origin (one farm/region) vs blend (multiple).
- Process: washed (clean, bright), natural (fruity), honey (between).
- Variety: Arabica is dominant for specialty; Robusta common in Arabic coffee.
- Roast date: rest 5–14 days; best window is 1–6 weeks after roast.
Brewing at home
- Espresso: 18 g in, 36 g out in 25–30 seconds for a classic ratio.
- V60/pour-over: 15 g coffee, 250 g water, 92 °C, 3 minutes.
- French press: 30 g coffee per 500 ml water, 4-minute steep.
- Arabic (rakwe): 1 tsp coffee + 1 tsp sugar + 1 cup water; boil twice.
Buying tips
- Buy whole beans and grind just before brewing for maximum aroma.
- Match the grind to the method — espresso fine, French press coarse.
- Store beans in an airtight container away from sunlight, not in the fridge.
- For Arabic coffee, lighter blends with more cardamom are popular for weddings.
