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Café Union: An elder statesman of Montreal’s coffee history

Montreal’s Café Union has been around for over a century—here’s how it has survived a world of constantly evolving trends.

Jon Dempsey

Jon Dempsey

January 22, 2024- Read time: 6 min
Café Union: An elder statesman of Montreal’s coffee historyJames Kouri, the current vice-president of Café Union, a Montreal roastery dating back to 1910. | Photograph: Courtesy Café Union

From dalgona and CBD-laced lattes to protein-infused java 'proffee' and cold brews, the coffee world’s trends are constantly evolving.

Questionable beverages can catch the algorithm waves, vying for likes. We love to spend our disposable income on getting caffeinated, using viral recipes and celebs like Emma Chamberlain to shape our tastes.New roasters are cropping up almost weekly. The industry is exploding right now. 

But if we zoom in further, we see how relatively young it is compared to, say, the wine industry. Even Starbucks is only around 50 years old, and many local specialty roasters in the city are considered “old” with seven, maybe ten years in the game. The scene is still in its infancy. 

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