THE ALCHEMISTS
Willy and Elisabeth Andraschko
Meet our Founders
“The coffee house, or cafe, was one of the greatest cultural contributions to the 20th century.”
Elisabeth and Willy Andraschko were both raised in Vienna, Austria. At the time, culture was consumed primarily at cafes. The cafe was a place where one could enjoy art and music, talk about current events, meet with friends, make new acquaintances, or simply be alone. “They were magical spaces, like the stage of a theater without an audience. A little opulent, a little dusty — a little useless. This was the atmosphere that should go together with coffee.” This culture had a great influence on the Andraschkos, and was part of the motivation for Willy when he moved to Berlin and opened the Cafe Einstein in 1979.
Einstein quickly became the place to be. Along with Paris Bar, it was a place for the literati to meet and share ideas. A wave of talented new musicians began to appear from all around the world – Terry Riley, David Bowie, and Nico from the Velvet Underground, among others.
It was during the Einstein era that Willy and Elisabeth decided to start roasting their own coffee. “We had great difficulties getting good coffee. The specialty coffee movement was just beginning. So we decided to start roasting our own beans. Willy began attending the Specialty Coffee Association conventions in the US. We visited Italian roasteries. We met with Piero Bambi at La Marzocco — who had just five mechanics at the time. Even Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee only had a few shops. We traveled, we learned, we roasted.” After more than twenty years at the helm of Cafe Einstein, the Andraschkos decided to dedicate themselves to the art of coffee.
Today, the Andraschko Kaffee roastery covers more than 1500 square meters and produces 20 tons of perfectly balanced blends and pristine single origin coffees each month. It is Germany's largest roastery dedicated to Specialty Coffee, which stands for the highest standards recognized by the Specialty Coffee Association. Along with exceptional flavor, Specialty Coffee emphasizes sustainable cultivation and responsible processing practices and has been setting benchmarks for quality, direct trade, and superior coffee processing since 1982. To this end, the Andraschkos maintain close, personal relationships with all their farmers, ensuring traceable origins and fair trade.
Willy and Elisabeth are highly involved in every aspect of the Andraschko business, from sourcing, to roasting, to delivery - enabling them to strive for and achieve excellence in every cup.
