The newest member of our local craft coffee community, Copa Vida, is brewing up a grand opening party in the East Village, with free drinks and snacks served tomorrow — Saturday, October 17— from 5 to 9 p.m.
Hailing from Pasadena, where their roastery and flagship coffeehouse launched in 2013, Copa Vida is known for a coffee and tea program that combines artisan technique with state-of-the-art brewing tools. Its new Petco Park-adjacent 3,000-square-foot space, with seating for 65, has a large patio that opens into a sleek, modern interior by Studio Unltd, who also designed Downtown LA's Bestia.
Open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, Copa Vida divides their beverage offerings into three categories: Go is a self-serve coffee bar, available from 7 to 10 a.m. on weekdays for commuters on the go, that operates on the honor system. Enjoy offers full barista service from their half-hexagonal bar, which houses a top-of-the-line Kees van der Westen Spirit espresso machine, a tap system that dispenses ice tea, cold brew and kombucha, and an Alpha Dominche Steampunk, an automated, temperature-controlled system that Copa Vida will use to brew the perfect cup of tea. A "slow bar" area, dubbed Experience, will be dedicated to classes on latte art, brewing methods, coffee and tea pairings and more. The first class is scheduled for October 26 and will be a rainbow tasting of Elixir, coffee brewed using sound waves (yes, you read that correctly); Copa Vida is the only licensed dealer for Elixir in the U.S.
Copa Vida also has a full kitchen, and will serve breakfast, brunch and lunch, from breakfast burritos to salads, sandwiches and wraps. And the coffee bar takes some cues from the cocktail industry; its popular Shakorado uses a cocktail shaker to mix four shots of espresso with milk and agave syrup and all its cold drinks are cooled by large-sized "whiskey" ice cubes.
Founder Steve Chang tells Eater that Copa Vida will be opening a shipping container-coffee bar annex in a new development in Carlsbad, launching mid-November, that will also house Go Pro, Inc.'s. headquarters, as well as considering other local areas for expansion.
