iDrink Old Friends Coffee Shop

Pick, sort, roast, brew

This homey coffee shop provides a unique ‘farm-to-cup’ experience by serving coffee from their very own plantation.Old Friends is the complete story: the farmer, roaster and barista.

Kintamani Coffee

Made, the owner, was born and raised on a coffee plantation in Belantih Village, in the Kintamanidistrict in northern Bali, 1,200 meter above sea level. He says: “Kintamani is on the slopes of the Mount Batur volcano known for its fertile soil that produces world class coffee beans. Our farmers are united in a coop called Subak Abians, a collective that operates on the Tri Hati Karana philosophy. What we try to do is keep the harmony between god, man and nature.”

Coffee three ways

Most of Bali’s coffee is wet-processed. This means water is used to remove the fruit around the bean, a process that is not only resource-intensive but also requires specialised equipment. Looking for more sustainable methods of processing, the Kintamani coops have started experimenting with ‘dry’ and ‘semi-dry’ processing. Dry coffee is the oldest method of processing coffee. The entire cherry after harvest is first cleaned and then placed in thin layers in the sun to dry adding a layer of complexity to the coffee.

At Old Friends you have a taster of coffee three ways: wet, semi-dry and dry. We recommend a pour-over of each of three (IRD 30,000), so you can really taste the unique flavour profile of each bean.