Coffee aficionados in Melbourne know Proud Mary in Collingwood, however ones living south of the city love finding places a little closer to home where they can get their Proud’s fix. For those around Elsternwick, a new cafe has popped up in the past month featuring their beautiful coffee. Next of Kin in Glenhuntly Rd is owned by Nick Cocker who has run his other business Cafe Gaia in South Yarra for seven years. Lance is in the kitchen putting out great food, with Evi and Lee behind the Synesso Sabre pumping out the coffee. If you prefer a V60 or pour over, have no fear, these are available too and the Mocca Master is always ready to go with a delicious filter of the day.
There are rotating single origins to enjoy but I chose to sample the Humbler blend as a double espresso. Drinking it black there were bright citrus notes, while still being very well balanced. I added a little milk and although the brightness still cut through,
I got more of the rich chocolate and molasses tones. Comprising beans from Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia and Indonesia, Proud Mary has designed the blend to please both black and white drinkers without being one dimensional or boring in any way.
Sourced from community driven regional lots, this blend is the result of Proud Mary’s broader more modest approach to looking for coffee. It’s supplied to the cafe in a big black bucket, with no pretension or disguise, and so really there is nothing closer to the truth and no better name than Humbler.
Drink your cup at:
Next of Kin – 546 Glenhuntly Rd Elsternwick
Liar Liar – 90 Kinkora Road, Hawthorn
Badger vs Hawk – 333 La Trobe Street, Melbourne
Red Door Corner Store – 70 Mitchell Street, Northcote
Four Elms – 451a Melbourne Road,
Newport