What’s New & Enterprising
By Christine Foster, Nov 17, 2006

Toporek knows beans about a good cuppa Joe

Coffee lovers unite! There is one place in town—and only one—that blends and roasts certified organic, free trade beans from right here in Mexico. This is not only wonderful for indigenous farmers—it’s absolutely fabulous for your tastebuds. How fresh is it? Would you believe no bean was roasted more than a week ago?

“I love coffee,” says owner Isaac Toporek, simply, when asked why he started El Viejo Topo. But Toporek, originally from Mexico City, is actually a graphic designer by training and profession. His involvement with this aromatic business began when, after attending a major coffee expo, he came up with the idea of designing a personal planner filled with pictures and little-known facts on the history, traditions and sociology of coffee. (Did you know Balzac and Voltaire drank as many as 60 cups a day? Each? Or that the French revolution was largely plotted in Parisian coffeehouses? Or that Beethoven hand-picked and counted out exactly 60 beans when brewing his own daily dose?)

In his research, Toporek learned a lot and fell even more deeply in love with the drug of lucidity. When he moved to San Miguel to design books for the original botanical garden, he began to think of opening his own café.

“People change the world in cafés,” he smiles. “And cafés can change the world.”

He first opened La Ventana on Sollano (still thriving under his management), but, as Toporek points out, if you think that coffee is fresh—and it is—why not come straight to the source, where it’s roasted daily?

El Viejo Topo is in the Plaza Pueblito next to San Miguel Health and Fitness Center on Stirling Dickinson. There’s parking! Just walk on in. Even inhaling the ambience is going to improve your day. Burlap sacks sit on the floor, and roasting machines glow behind the counter. 

Toporek explains that his beans are mostly from Chiapas, where they are grown by local farmers from 100 highland communities. The profits of their cooperative are reinvested in local schools and hospitals.

The cooperative has received certification from three organizations: Naturland (Germany), OCIA (USA) and Certimex (Mexico), verifying that they use no pesticides or herbicides and that the soil is chemical-free. In addition to buying organic coffee only from indigenous farmers with otherwise meager means of subsistence, Toporek has also made a commitment to using only biodegradable paper cups and bags to help protect the environment.

All varieties of beans are selected and roasted in private blends you won’t see anywhere else. “Many North Americans prefer dark roasts,” says Toporek. “Roasting longer will give color, body and aroma, though also some bitterness. The longer you roast, incidentally, the less caffeine remains in the bean.” Toporek carefully blends more lightly roasted beans in with the darker ones to add more intense flavor and essence. It’s a feast for the senses. Try a blend roasted to release an intense cup with a nutty aftertaste. Or savor his new Mexican blend similar to the flavor base in café de olla, or perhaps his personal favorite, the dark and robust Amazonas.

El Viejo Topo is running a special promotion right now. If you buy a kilo of any blend you will receive a complimentary 100-gram sample of Amazonas to take home. Or, if you choose Amazonas, you can take home a free beverage. All coffee can be bought ground to order or whole, so you can grind it at home.

El Viejo Topo is a tranquil, shady spot, perfect for meeting friends. The counter offers pastries, organic yogurts and juices, shakes, chai and, of course, coffee. 

There is also a growing book exchange of English and Spanish titles that complements Toporek’s work on the radio show “Sancho Panza de Cabeza.” The show is helping introduce literature to local households and to the campo and is performed live every Tuesday at 8pm on 1280 AM, Radio San Miguel. 

Come in, meet Toporek and find your favorite blend, or custom-design your own—he’ll even roast to order. And while you’re visiting, have a look at the tent going up. There’s exciting evening entertainment on its way. Not only a roasting center, but a new San Miguel nightspot as well.