Barista-brewed ‘magic’ coffee boosting Socceroos at World Cup

DOHA, Qatar — Australia is a nation of coffee connoisseurs or, to be less charitable, coffee snobs. Its major cities are dominated by thriving cafe cultures populated by baristas who have descended from all over the world to satisfy Australians’ voracious appetite for ground coffee beans mixed with boiling water and some form of milk — be it cow, almond, oat, soy, or whatever is fashionable this week.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that coffee has become one of Australia’s “secret weapons” for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Socceroos represent a nation that drove Starbucks out of town the first time it tried to establish a presence and exported the flat white around the globe.

Alexia Ralevski spends her days tucked away in the depths of Australia’s training base at the Aspire Academy, preparing the various coffee orders of the Socceroos’ playing group and staff as they prepare for the World Cup. She estimates that she prepares up to 80 coffees per day, ranging from extremely complex orders to simple espresso shots before training.

Ralevski has a complete cafe-style coffee-making setup available to her, with high-quality beans flown in by the team, and she has quickly become one of the most popular members of the traveling group. The team frequently jumps behind the bar to assist her with brewing and dishwashing.

Ralevski told ESPN that she knew several Socceroos employees prior to joining the team. They knew I enjoyed making coffee and was somewhat skilled at it, so they decided to make me this offer, and here we are.

Read more • espn.com