Word “coffeehouse”” has a completely different meaning in Amsterdam than anywhere else in the world. And that meaning is of course wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Amsterdam’s legendary more or less legal status has long made it the centre of the most disgusting of the disgusting on the European continent (even if some of the Amsterdam parliaments are trying to change that), and the city continues to enjoy a network of coffee shops of varying importance and popularity, from the tourist zones of the city centre to more laid-back establishments in different districts of the city. Some (but certainly not all) coffee shops in Amsterdam serve quite good coffee, although the city’s coffee shop scene and the city’s “coffeeshop” scene remain quite far apart in most cases.
There’s probably no more celebrated marijuana enthusiast in the American zeitgeist than Calvin Broadus Jr., better known as Snoog Dogg. Coming off his hosting duties at the Paris Olympics, where he was also the most excited spectator at literally every event, Snoop is having a moment and doesn’t seem to want to end his European vacation. So where else would the Doggfather head if not to Amsterdam, where he’s opened his own coffee shop.
As reported HipHopDX, Swedish Coffee—low for Smoke Weed Every Day, a reference to Dr. Dre’s The Next Episode featuring Snoop—is the rap legend’s first officially branded outlet in Amsterdam, and second location overall, for the first time in his hometown of Los Angeles.
In addition to selling cannabis products, the ultra-chic SWED Amsterdam pays homage to Snoop’s musical career, including “an electric Death Row chair, graffiti wall art, and various music memorabilia, including a section dedicated to his groundbreaking debut album.” There’s also a giant, hand-signed see-through painting of Westcoast art, a Doberman statue, and a ceiling printed with a white bandana with a blue accent.
And because it’s a coffee shop, there’s coffee. Astute Instagram viewers of SWED’s grand opening will spot a dual-group espresso machine and silver grinder in one of the quick shots, though the quality of the coffee program remains unclear.
Coffee has historically been a secondary consideration in Amsterdam coffee shops, but Snoop is no stranger to the world of specialty coffee. Last year, he helped launch Indonesian INDOxyz specialty coffee line—Indo is a homonym for endo, a slang term for marijuana — before withdrawing from the venture shortly thereafter. Still, Snoop has a penchant for finer things, which could translate into a legally required attachment to his marijuana business.
I am not asking for a Scandinavian Embassy, just a nice combination of black and green that would make the 40-minute walk to ScandiEmbo in De Pijp much more pleasant.
