Brewing up the Lehigh Coffee Club

The Lehigh Coffee Club is on the grind this semester.

With a successful trial run and plans for the future, the club hopes to be fully recognized as an official club next fall.

Lehigh Coffee Club already has around 110 members and hopes to continue hosting events that will unite students over their love of coffee and stimulating conversation.

Otto Capps, ’21, the founder and president of Lehigh’s Coffee Club, said he got his inspiration from the time he spent on his family’s coffee farm in Brazil.

“I’ve had a lot of exposure to coffee and found that it was a good way to meet new people outside of my regular circle,” Capps said. “I want Lehigh Coffee Club to become more than just a club, but something that people really enjoy.”

Ben Quan, ’19, is the vice president of The Lehigh Coffee Club, and in high school, he was a member of a business that manufactured coffee machines.

xThroughout his experience, Quan picked up a lot of knowledge about coffee and the process of how it’s made.

“We want to provide an environment for students to connect over a cup of coffee because no matter who you are or what you study, most students love coffee,” Quan said.

With that knowledge, Lehigh Coffee Club was able to host a coffee tasting event with different varieties and brewing methods.

Around 40 people gathered to drink coffee, listen to music and partake in conversations, said Alex Mow, ’21, the executive design chair.

“The Lehigh Coffee Club is more than just drinking coffee,” Mow said. “It’s about educating people about different ways to brew coffee and the cultures that come with it. People will gain an appreciation of coffee and bond over it. One reason why I really love coffee is because it doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you’re from. Pretty much everyone loves it.”

The club is planning on partnering with different clubs at Lehigh to host events or provide coffee for their meetings, Capps said. They’re also working on hosting events that will integrate coffee and culture.

“To think of a few examples, drinking Turkish Coffee with the Turkish Student Association or Thai Iced Coffee with SEAL is something we’re working on,” Capps said. “I want people to think of Lehigh Coffee Club when there’s a meeting or get-together,”

His main wish for Lehigh Coffee Club is to allow people to love and enjoy coffee.

Quan said he hopes these plans for the future will allow Lehigh Coffee Club to be more involved within the Lehigh community.

“I hope that Lehigh Coffee Club will be very well established and recognized so that when people hear Lehigh Coffee Club, they will think of a fun time to meet people and drink exciting, new things,” Mow said. “I also want everyone to know that they are all welcome.”