Clubs 101: Coffee @ UMD

For those feeling flattened on Friday afternoons after a long week of classes and work, one University of Maryland student club has a pick-me-up: free coffee and lattes—and more than 200 Terps with whom to enjoy an adorable espresso-sized cup.

“A lot of Gen Z students feel alone, especially post-COVID,” said Coffee @ UMD President Navya Bansal ’27. “I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and tell me how connected they feel by coming to the club.” 

Some set up their laptops, others bring card or board games to play with friends, and still others chat up the baristas about what they’re brewing this week (a rotating selection of 5-lb bags from Hyattsville-based roastery Vigilante Coffee).

Not everyone’s an enthusiast, but all are welcome, whether they come to fuel up or nerd out about the tasting notes in the latest beans from El Salvador or Ethiopia. 

“People think coffee is just bitter, but there are so many wild, wonderful flavors out there. You just have to find them,” said Bansal. 

Here’s how you can “java” a nice day and “mocha” the most of these meet-ups: 

How It Got Started: Reid Xu ’24 founded the club in 2022. A connoisseur who not only roasted his own beans but once won a latte art competition (where contestants create animals, flowers and more out of milk foam into cups of joe), earning him a year’s worth of free oat milk, Xu initially focused on brewing techniques and specialty coffees. 

For Bansal, who briefly worked at Starbucks in high school but said the hectic pace “turned me off coffee for a while,” finding the club was an opportunity to be reintroduced to the versatile beverage in a more relaxed environment. 

When It Meets: Every Friday from 2-5 p.m. at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union (follow @UMDCoffee on social or join its GroupMe for specific rooms). While the typical offerings are a pour over and an oat milk latte (they have nowhere to refrigerate cow milk and want to be inclusive of folks who are dairy-intolerant), the club sometimes offer seasonal concoctions like mocha or pumpkin spice lattes. 

For those who have never tried one, a pour over is “almost like brewing tea,” said Bansal. There are specific temperatures for heating the water, particular kettles that create the perfect flow of liquid and techniques for pouring it over the coffee grounds. “It’s a really great way to extract a lot of interesting flavors. Some taste floral, like cherry blossoms.” 

Who Can Join: Anyone who wants a cup (or three) of free coffee—or wants to learn how to make it. For aspiring baristas who seek to brew better or create cute latte art (one member even 3D-printed a stencil of the coffee bean turtle that the club uses as its logo), the club holds separate workshops to teach them every other week.

“Almost all of our baristas had no prior experience at a café,” said Bansal. Five students usually serve a never-ending line of Terps each Friday, hand-grinding beans and steaming milk while chatting. “Since we’re funded by SGA, we can get equipment that students otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford, like an espresso machine.” 

Fun Traditions: The club often partners with other organizations, such as the Japanese Student Association or the Food Science Association, for socials featuring cultural snacks or expert talks. 

It also serves up coffee-adjacent beverages. On one recent afternoon, students could sip matcha ground by club members from specially processed green tea leaves (unlike the more common pre-ground green powder used in most commercial tea and coffee shops). It also worked with the university’s xFoundry to brew a coffee-esque mix created by Atomo, roasted from a variety of root vegetables, mushrooms, seeds and dates, as well as green tea extract for caffeine. “It was really fascinating because a lot of students were like, ‘We can’t taste the difference,’” Bansal said. 

The executive board also travels to the Specialty Coffee Expo, where members meet roasters from around the country, chat with coffee scientists and see different brewing contraptions. Last trip, they met influencer and former barista world champion and internet personality Morgan Eckroth of @Morgandrinkscoffee and got a selfie. “It was brilliant!” said Bansal.

This is an occasional series highlighting interesting UMD student clubs. Have a suggestion for one to feature? Email kshih@umd.edu.