While wandering around Bratislava in March of this year, I spontaneously popped into Good Times Coffee Roasters. I ordered a cup of the batch brew and took a seat. Good Times had been on my list to try, and with a recommendation from Mathias (Roaster from SQR and featured in our Vienna box), I knew I had to check it out.
The café was clean and minimalistic, accented with lovely pops of color—from the glossy teal coffee counter to the vibrant yellow metal bar stools. The lamp shades above the coffee bar were little origami drippers. I love tiny clever details like this.
It was my lucky day! Daniel, the founder and roaster, happened to be my barista that day. Without a planned appointment, I had the chance to share with Daniel about our Kaffeekiss boxes and show him some of my artwork. He generously took the time to explain their current roasts, all beautifully packaged in tidy white boxes with simple, clean labels. I was particularly intrigued by the barrel-aged coffees on the shelf. One, called “Pirates Bae,” was described as Rum barrel-aged coffee—a clever name and an intriguing process description. Another, an Ethiopian coffee with a shiny golden label, was “cherry barrel-aged.” When I asked Daniel about this, he could only reveal a little since it’s a secret process, but he pointed out some customers in the corner and told me that they were the ones who produce the oak barrels!
Daniel was friendly and knowledgeable, making it a pleasure to chat with him, taste the coffee, and hear about the new beans he expected in the coming months. I asked him about Good Times Coffee Roasters and what drew him into the coffee industry. We’re thrilled to feature their Rwanda Nyamagabe coffee in our Bratislava Kaffeekiss box!
Nicole: Hi Daniel, how did you initially become involved in the coffee industry, and when did you start your journey into coffee roasting?
Daniel: We had an espresso machine in our place back in Sydney - so I started to get so excited to make coffee on it. Our passion for coffee was born here in 2013 where we were first introduced to the fascinating cafe life. After two years of gaining experience in elite cafes, we decided to bring our passion to Slovakia and open our own cafe in Bratislava, where the coffee culture was on the rise.
N: What brought you to Sydney, Australia in the first place?
D: Study. I planned to finish my management degree but then began thinking about having my own coffee shop..
N:Tell me about the name of your Roastery. How did you settle on naming yourselves “Good Times”?
D: I wanted to have a name that expressed the main reason for when or why you have your favorite cup of coffee. It should be a while having a Good Time. Good Times Coffee is not only a name, but also a philosophy - we believe that coffee should be enjoyed in peace, surrounded by friends or family, and every cup should be full of flavors and joys. Because after all, what would your day be like without the right cup of coffee?
N: Could you elaborate on your coffee bean sourcing process? What criteria do you prioritize when selecting beans to roast?
D: Well, most of the time it is based on traceability and quality. We believe that those two are the key to having a great selection of coffees.
N: How often do you receive new shipments of green beans and how often are you roasting?
D: This depends on the period, but mostly we are roasting Mondays and Wednesdays on our 30kg beast - so we are able to get a lot done. Green beans, we usually get 1-2 pallets each Monday.
N: You have some “barrel aged” coffees in your selection. Can you tell me more about this process? How does barrel aging impact the flavor of the coffee?
D: It is kind of a secret, but we use 110 litre oak barrels and many different types of alcohol… One batch takes around 21 days, but the rest of the process is our own secret.
N: The coffee in the Bratislava Kaffeekiss box are your new Rwanda Nyamagabe beans. Can you tell us what we can expect from this roast?
D: It is super clean and juicy. Nothing that you would expect from anaerobic fermentation. We wanted to have some outstanding anaerobic and we instantly fell in love with this one during the cupping.
N: What is your preferred brew method or any brewing tips you'd recommend for the Rwanda Nyamagabe?
D: I would choose the Kalita as it helps highlight the flavors.
N: Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for Good Times or yourself this year?
D: The most exciting part was when we got our new roaster and agreed on the very first direct trade from Colombia, where we will be visiting this September to manage our lots there.
Thank you Daniel! We’re so happy to be sharing Good Time’s beans with our fellow coffee lovers!
