NEIGHBOURHOOD NOTES WITH ST ALi. CEO LACHLAN WARD

There are few things Melburnians take more pride in than a steamy, silky — or, as Lachlan Ward predicts, icy — brew. And none who know more about the *magic* of Melbourne coffee than ST. ALi, Australia’s most recognised independent specialty coffee roaster.

Now pouring in Bistro X, ST. ALi has been shaping Melbourne’s coffee culture since 2005. We caught up with their CEO Lachlan to talk about what makes the city’s coffee scene so enduring, where to spend a day drinking your way across Melbourne, and why the future might just be served cold.

Tell us who you are and what you do.

I’m Lachlan, the CEO and one of the partners at ST. ALi Coffee Roasters.

What makes a truly great coffee experience? Is it the beans, the barista, the space or something else?

There’s no one thing that you can pin it down to. But I think what makes coffee special is the human connection, right? You’ve got to start with great coffee (obviously), and then it comes down to the people around it. That’s what has built coffee into what it is today and influenced how it’s consumed globally.

If someone had 24 hours in Melbourne, what’s your must-do coffee itinerary?

You go to breakfast at ST. ALi in South Melbourne and get the full flight of things there. Then I would head into the city and go to Patricia, one of the most iconic Melbourne venues. Bowen and Pip do an incredible job on the people side, too. It’s such a busy venue.

If you’re still in the city, head up and check out Pellegrini’s, one of the earliest spots for coffee in Australia. And if you’ve got caffeine capacity left for somewhere north side, go to Proud Mary. They do some amazing stuff in Collingwood with experimental coffee.

If you’ve only got one day and you’re here for coffee, you gotta keep busy, right?

Melbourne locals are loyal to their cafes. What do you think keeps them coming back behind the coffee itself?

Number one, the coffee’s got to be great. But it’s the human piece for me.

The cafes you go back to are the ones that get it right every time, that remember your name, all those little things. We’re so lucky in Melbourne to be one of the most vibrant and developed coffee cities globally, and there are so many roasters doing an amazing job.

Is there anything brewing at ST. ALi that you can give us a taste of?

The younger generation of coffee drinkers are drinking more and more cold coffees and  beverages, so we’re spending a lot of time developing different products and formats that support that change. You’ll see more from us in the next 12 months around that. It’s not going anywhere.

Coffee is constantly evolving, but what’s one trend you’d happily leave behind?

I would leave behind infused coffees. There’s this trend at the moment where coffee is fermented with different fruits or flavours. And I mean, call me a boring old guy, but I just don’t enjoy those coffees. I would, hopefully, never drink one of those again.

So whether you’re sipping early-morning espresso, settling in over brunch at Bistro X or lucky enough to be around for a limited-time coffee cocktail collab – such as our Italo Disco Punch for DiscoMediterranea set On Top last month – consider this your invitation to drink like a local.