As coffee fever spreads in Kyiv, baristas innovate café culture

Eight years ago, baristas in Kyiv had to argue with customers about how high-quality coffee should taste. The smooth flavor balancing sweetness, acidity and bitterness that connoisseurs prefer seemed bizarre to the locals, who were used to drinking it bitter.

“It was a rough war,” says Slava Babych, a star Ukrainian barista who has won a world championship in his art.