Deborah Cater
Ordering a coffee in Spain can feel like learning a new language – café solo, cortado, con leche, bombón… and don’t even get us started on regional variations. But while Spain’s café scene is as lively and varied as its tapas, the history of coffee culture in Spain reveals a lot about the country’s changing tastes, economy, and resilience.
As In Spain News recently explored in how to order coffee in Spain, what you choose to sip at the bar says a lot about you. But how did we get here?
16th century – the first Spaniard to drink coffee?
According to the Royal Academy of History, the first Spaniard to drink coffee was one Pedro Paez in around 1596. Paez was in Ethiopia, the ‘birthplace’ of coffee, as a missionary. Captured and imprisoned in Yemen, he was held captive for nearly seven years by one local chieftain or another. During this time, he tasted coffee in Mocha describing it as “a dark and bitter infusion” in his History of Ethiopia.
17th and 18th centuries – coffee crosses borders
Coffee first arrived in Spain via trade routes in the 1600s, entering from two major European gateways: Venice and Istanbul. At the time, Spain was already part of a vast trading network, and coffee’s exotic allure spread across major cities.
Early roasting was often done at home or locally. Cafés soon followed becoming gathering spots for intellectuals, artists and, eventually, politicians.
It will come as no surprise that the first coffee shop in Spain was opened in 1765 by Italian brothers from Milan. Based in Madrid, the Gippini brothers opened an inn in 1758, La Fontana de Oro, later asking permission to serve coffee.
19th century – Roasting revolution and colonial coffee
By the late 1800s, coffee roasting moved from small-scale kitchens to industrial facilities, especially in cities like Barcelona. This shift laid the groundwork for a wider coffee-drinking culture, with cafés springing up as important social hubs across Spain.
Spain wasn’t the main force behind introducing coffee to South America, that distinction goes largely to the French. However, Spain did play a role in bringing coffee to its former colonies such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. By then, Colombia and Venezuela already had their own thriving coffee scenes, but Spain’s connection to the global coffee trade was firmly established.
1930s – Civil War and coffee shortages
When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, trade routes were blocked, and coffee imports plummeted. Many small roasters shut down, and Spaniards turned to desperate measures. Substitutes like chicory root, barley, or even ground acorns became common, although these offered none of coffee’s trademark caffeine buzz.
This period also saw the birth of a very Spanish coffee quirk – torrefacto.
What is torrefacto?
Torrefacto is a roasting method in which sugar is added to the beans during the final stages of roasting. This causes the sugar to caramelise and coat the beans, extending their shelf life and masking poor quality. Essentially, it was a wartime hack, a way to make lower-grade coffee last longer and taste more intense.
There were other advantages too. The sugar added weight to the beans, so roasters could sell “more” coffee. Furthermore, the bitter, bold flavour meant you didn’t need as much for a strong brew. In a time of scarcity, this was ideal.
Even after the war, Spain’s economy took time to recover. By then, the taste for torrefacto had become the norm. Ask for a café solo in many parts of Spain today, and you’ll be served coffee made with torrefacto beans.
21st century – Enter the ‘Third Wave of coffee’
In recent years, Spain has seen a quiet but noticeable coffee revolution. The so-called third wave of coffee has finally taken root. Now the focus is on quality, sustainability, lighter roasting and origin transparency.
Younger generations, health-conscious consumers and global food trends have fuelled a rise in speciality coffee shops in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. These cafés shun torrefacto in favour of ethically sourced beans, brewed in everything from AeroPresses to V60s.
In Nerja, Andalucia, an Irish couple – Kerry and Wes Patten – have made it their mission to bring ethically sourced, quality coffee to southern Spain. Having travelled the country and failed to find “coffee without a burnt flavour”, their small batch roasting business – Nerja Coffee Roasters – brings back the incredible health benefits into coffee through perfect roasting.
So where does Kerry see specialty coffee in the future? “The rate that specialty coffee has grown in the last 2 years is incredible. My dream is that in 5 years the horrible torrefacto will no longer exist as it is so bad for people. However, if the growth of specialty coffee continues, with people delighting in organic, sustainable brands, then it is a move in the right direction.”
Where next with the coffee culture in Spain?
Still, old habits die hard. Many Spaniards continue to prefer the traditional strong, bitter flavours they’ve grown up with. But increasingly, a new wave of coffee lovers is appreciating the subtle notes of vanilla, chocolate or florals in their morning cup.
The coffee culture in Spain is at a crossroads. You can still stand at the bar for a quick café solo in a traditional bar de barrio. However, you’re just as likely to find someone sipping on a natural Ethiopian while working in a plant-filled café.
One thing’s for sure; coffee is woven deep into Spain’s social fabric. What the next generation of coffee drinkers will be enjoying is anybody’s guess.