Coffee culture has undoubtedly taken the U.S. by storm, with coffeeshops of all shapes and sizes coming out of the woodwork. A vocabulary that was once saturated with venti this and grande that is rather quickly changing to something more akin to… cortado and gibraltar.

And I’m okay with that.

Now, when I see a coffee bean, I don’t just see my addiction. I see how one humble product has played such an integral part in bringing people together around the globe—specifically in facilitating the meeting of new acquaintances, friends, and maybe, just maybe, the love of your life. Inviting someone for a cup of coffee is a safe and sacred arrangement. The coffeeshop is neutral grounds, whereas lunch or dinner may seem too stifling (lunch and dinner meetings are a constant dance between eating and trying to keep the conversation going).

So embrace that well-dressed gentleman with a handlebar moustache preparing your daily cortado, because he has made meeting someone new just a little less awkward. Why? Because that cup of coffee somehow gives us some confidence.

While visiting San Francisco, I was fortunate enough to meet several talented instagrammers with a mutual love for coffee. After returning to Los Angeles, I was inspired to host our first Instameet (Instagram Meetup) with our friends at LA Diaries. With coffee as our vehicle, we would traverse the Arts District of LA in search of some of the downtown area’s best brew.

Thus, #LACOFFEECRAWL was born.

Follow this gang of Instagrammers on a visual journey, making their way to Handsome Coffee Roasters, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and Daily Dose Cafe for the purpose of connecting over a mutual love for coffee, Instagram, and meeting new friends.

Coffee: the socially-acceptable drug.

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