Diaspora Cafe
Minority-owned, LGBTQ-owned, Eco-friendly
Diaspora is a Yaupon Espresso supplier with local and indigenous ownership in Seattle. We’re proud to be the first people serving Yaupon Espresso and kava as alternatives to coffee and alcohol. We cater and supply beverages at community events, retail locations and markets throughout Seattle and Tacoma.
In partnership with the plants, Diaspora provides direct support to land and water rights movements in our region. This includes an ongoing relationship with the Beacon Food Forest in Beacon Hill.
Diaspora developed Yaupon Espresso with yaupon farmers in Georgia and Florida, and several cafes here in Seattle. Yaupon is the only caffeinated beverage native to North America, and a relative of Yerba Maté. Yaupon is traditionally dark roasted by First Peoples as a stimulating beverage for medicine, sacred ceremonies, and social gatherings since time immemorial. The flavor is sweeter and more robust than the grassy notes of Yerba Maté, with some similarity to the expression of coffee in espresso. It even has crema for espresso style drinks! And, yaupon cold brew is especially smooth.
Each leaf of Diaspora’s USDA and Regenerative Organic Certified yaupon is harvested in the USA, roasted, and prepared by hand for you. It is far more sustainable and healthy than coffee, being rich in a wide variety of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and adaptogenic compounds. Its production does not require the use of any pesticides or fertilizer.
