Alchemist Coffee Lab provides a fresh café experience
Alchemist Coffee Lab brings a unique spin on the process of brewing coffee to Fresno customers. The local café had a busy soft opening at the end of Dec. with the grand opening, Jan. 9.
The coffee shop is located in the Tower District on Wishon Ave., taking residence in the building of the formerly closed coffee shop Hi-Top Coffee. Alchemist owner Hamza Mahmoud saw the opportunity to buy the vacant shop and took a leap to purchase the building.
Mahmoud is a Bullard High graduate and was raised in the Central Valley. He moved to Jordan and had his first encounter with the world of brewing coffee when he started grounding his own beans in his living room.
“When I moved to Jordan there weren’t any enjoyable coffee shops around,” Mahmoud said. “I started buying coffee beans to develop my barista skills. I probably went through 500lb of coffee in trial and error before fine-tuning my craft.”
When Mahmoud moved back to the Central Valley he used his developed coffee skills to start a coffee roastery with some colleagues. He began selling to restaurants and businesses around the valley and grew his fanbase.
Alchemist Coffee Lab brings a unique experience to the process of coffee brewing. As the name suggests the coffee shop gives a scientific feeling to incoming customers. Pairing its buzzing interior and multiple colored walls and decorations that match the loud interior. There are different seating arrangement options and boasts a modern white tiled black splash and a wooden countertop.
The process of making a cup sets the shop apart. The scientific feel is reinforced by coffee brewing technics using rounded flasks and other chemistry-inspired coffee utensils that make you feel like you’re getting a well-cared-for and authentic cup of coffee.
Alchemist offers a vast range of coffee bean types from multiple countries around the world. They receive coffee from Ethiopia, Congo, Kenya, and Costa Rica, just to name a few. Alchemists focus on their specialty light roast which has a strong bitter coffee taste but adds a fruity feel to the beverage.
Their coffee is flavorful and rich, with a strong taste that isn’t overpowering. There are many options on the menu anywhere from a Cold brew to Matcha. Drinks aren’t the only thing they offer; Alchemist has a vast range of food items to pick from. The Alchemist staff had a smile on their face and help customers make their choice on which coffee to make on the vast menu.
I chose their Avocado toast which came with balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and chili pepper flakes. The toast had a sweet-salty taste that paired well with each other and the chili pepper brought out the flavor of the toast.
The coffee price varies depending on what type of brew you get. Most of the time the price of a cup of coffee including Espresso shots will average out around four to five dollars and for non-coffee items prices will be around five to six dollars.
Alchemist Coffee Lab was a great coffee shop that is like no other I have seen. It gives you authentic coffee and a wonderful new experience.
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