APAX IN ACTION: Spotlight on Leaves Coffee Roasters
At Leaves Coffee Roasters in Tokyo, coffee isn’t just a beverage—it’s an immersive experience. Known for their commitment to precision and quality, the team at Leaves has embraced APAX LAB mineral concentrates to take their filter coffee offerings to new heights. By introducing an interactive element to their workflow, Leaves Coffee Roasters is showcasing how minerals can refine and enhance the coffee experience in a dynamic way.
Bringing a New Layer to the Coffee Experience
With filter coffee being the most popular choice among their customers, Leaves Coffee Roasters saw an opportunity to provide a more personalised tasting journey. While each coffee is carefully brewed to highlight its best characteristics, they offer an optional flavour-enhancing experience using APAX LAB mineral concentrates. This allows customers to explore how subtle adjustments in water composition can bring out different flavour dimensions within the same cup.
How APAX LAB is Integrated into the Workflow
Rather than altering the coffee from the outset, the Leaves team invites customers to first enjoy their brew as it is. Once they’ve consumed about half, they are given the option to signal their barista, who will then come to their table and introduce the next step. Right before their eyes, the barista adds APAX LAB minerals to the remaining coffee, enhancing the experience in real-time. This interactive approach not only sparks curiosity but also allows customers to witness the transformative power of water firsthand.
Introducing APAX LAB to Customers
When explaining APAX LAB to their guests, the Leaves team highlights that it is a concentrated mineral solution specifically designed for customising water. With a strong presence in Brewers Cup competitions and high-level coffee preparation, APAX LAB has been developed after years of research by Simon Gautherin in Australia. As the official distributor of APAX LAB in Japan, Leaves Coffee Roasters takes pride in educating customers about the impact of water in coffee and how these minerals can be used across different brewing methods—including pour-over, espresso, and even cold brew.
Customer Reactions & Feedback
One of the first things that catches customers’ attention is the unique packaging of APAX LAB, which often sparks the reaction, “What is this?!” Unlike traditional mineral solutions that require large-scale mixing, APAX LAB’s versatility allows for direct application into coffee, making it easy and approachable. Customers love the fact that they can experiment with different profiles and witness the changes in real time, adding an extra layer of engagement to their coffee experience.
Leaves Coffee’s Favourite Profile & Go-To Recipe
Among the three APAX LAB profiles—TONIK, JAMM, and LYLAC—the Leaves team has found that LYLAC pairs particularly well with their coffees. They have experimented with various methods, from adding just two drops directly into a freshly brewed cup to incorporating APAX LAB minerals into cold brew and milk brew, particularly during the summer months. The team believes that the best approach is one that allows the coffee to retain its dynamic nature while subtly enhancing specific flavour notes with APAX LAB minerals.
Final Thoughts
Leaves Coffee Roasters has redefined how customers interact with their coffee by integrating APAX LAB mineral concentrates into their service. Through this immersive, table-side approach, they have created a one-of-a-kind tasting journey that allows guests to experience how small, precise changes in water composition can drastically shift a coffee’s flavour profile. Their innovative approach continues to push the boundaries of specialty coffee, making every cup a uniquely personal experience.
As APAX LAB continues to gain momentum in Japan and beyond, Leaves Coffee Roasters stands as a testament to how embracing water science can elevate coffee appreciation for both baristas and consumers alike.