Overview
Caffè sospeso — or 'suspended coffee' — is a Neapolitan tradition where you pay for two coffees at a café, drink one and the second is given to the next customer who walks through the door. It's a small, anonymous act of charity.
Now laneway bar Bar Americano is bringing the tradition to the streets of Melbourne. Owner Matt Bax has subsidised espressos and two cocktails on his menu in the hope that it will encourage his customers to partake in the random act of kindness. While the first drink, for yourself, will be full price, the second espresso will cost $3, Amaro Americano (their namesake drink) $7 and Negroni $15.
While it's not the first establishment to recreate the tradition down south — STREAT implemented it as an act of kindness for Melbourne's homeless — it is the first establishment to recreate it with cocktails. Bax — a renowned bar tsar who has been working in the city for over 20 years — hopes this venture encourages people to be more tolerant and kind to each other. "It may just be a $3 espresso you are buying for a stranger," he says. "But it's so much more. I think it's an investment in a better society."
It might not change the world but — for those who can afford to, at least — caffè sospeso might at least help foster a sense of community in the middle of the CBD.
Caffè sospeso is running six nights a week at Bar Americano, 20 Presgrave Place, Melbourne. For more information, visit baramericano.com.
Image: Alicia Taylor.