Hugh Jackman Talks Coffee

From Esquire

Can we have the best Flat White you’ve ever made? I’m introducing a virgin here.”

That’s Hugh Jackman ordering me a coffee. Well, not just any coffee. A flat white. And not just any flat white, but a Laughing Man flat white at the brand’s pop-up café during SXSW’s opening week. We’re on the subject for a number of reasons. One is that seven years ago he started a coffee enterprise called Laughing Man - inspired by a coffee farmer he met in Ethiopia named Dukale, and rooted in philanthropy. Now, Laughing Man has two cafés in New York City, a line of K-cups, and philanthropic efforts that include improving housing and providing college scholarships to those in fair-trade coffee communities.

The second reason we’re on the subject is because I’ve been told Americans don’t know what the hell they’re doing in regard to making a flat white. See, Australian coffee culture is next-level. So next-level that they basically ran Starbucks out of the country back in 2008, taking eight years to start creeping back into touristy areas.

With that in mind, I had to ask Jackman, a coffee enthusiast himself (because you have to be to drop everything, go to Africa, and learn how to enterprise it), about why Australians are so good at it, how he takes his coffee, and what he’s learned about himself along the way.

His Perfect Cup Of Coffee's More Intense Than Logan.

It’s got to be hot. For me, I like strong but smooth. And in the morning [laughs]. I’ll occasionally have some milk. Cream, half and half, full-cream milk, that sort of thing. I’ll sometimes have sugar, but I got off of sugar about 5 or 6 years ago. For the first few months [of drinking coffee] I was like, "what’s the point of having it without sugar?" Because I was addicted to sugar - but then my addiction to caffeine got me through that [laughs]. And now I just want the coffee. But I’m a big fan of making the coffee good. I won’t just drink any coffee.

He Doesn't Get American Coffee.

We had to train our staff [in the States]. We had staff from Australia come in; it’s an Australian invention. There’s a little but of difference in the milk - it’s a little stronger, a little creamier - and less milk.

In Australia, we don’t understand why you have to get a coffee and it’s literally like … eight gallons. Our coffee is never bigger than that [points to an eight ounce cup]. That’s why we like that strong taste. Post-war we had a lot of Italians, Greeks, Southern Europeans come in and so that’s why we have such a strong coffee culture.

He's Got A Theory Why Starbucks Struggled In Oz.

They closed them all because most Australians were like “ehh, I don’t really like the taste of that. It’s not really good, and what’s with that?” We prefer our thing - it’s a different thing. But a good flat white, man.

A Trip To Africa Changed His Life.

Meeting the growers. Being down there, and spending time with them, and knowing that we’re creating something that is sustainable and is genuinely impacting their lives. That’s definitely been the greatest thing. And then our cafes. People really stop me a lot in the street and say, “Man, I gotta tell you, I haven’t seen any of your movies, but those cafes!” People all over the world stop me. And it’s a massive community, I mean, that little store does over a million dollars a year. There are lines around the block. People love the atmosphere - they stay, they chat, there are actors and artists and people from the neighborhood. My kids: I hear them talking to their friends saying “we have a coffee shop.” They know and they feel that that’s their legacy, and they’ll get to run them and take that over, and I love that.

He's Honest About How 'Bloody Hard' It's Been To Launch A Coffee Company.

Scaling it. Scaling the business is hard. I mean we had a bunch of options, and we ended up going with Keurig, and we immediately have this incredible platform of their distribution, as well as the pods, and we did okay. I always felt there was huge potential here, and it really didn’t take off for whatever reason. And then the last two or three years have been about, how do we really get it out there? I feel like there’s no one else really in the coffee business who’s not for profit, who’s giving back.

We’re organic, everything’s good, and now I feel we’ve cracked it. But that’s where you realize: Business is bloody hard for everyone. I mean, I’m sure there are some people against it, but it would take a real cynic to want us to fail. If it’s coffee I like and it’s giving back, it’s great, but even with that, you have uphill battles.

So yeah, that, or I think sometimes I’m guessing - I don’t know for sure - but I’m guessing there’s sometimes a bit of a “Ah, Hugh Jackman, it sounds like a celebrity-driven thing, not a real coffee to like.” But I don’t think people buy for celebrities for food or drink. And also, coffee is a bit like morning TV shows. People are really loyal. “Oh I grew up with Katie Couric, I'm a Today show person. It’s really hard to change people, so getting people to try it is difficult. It’s tough! I think if they’re socially conscious, they think, “I hope I like it, because it’d be good to give back.”

The Lessons He's Learned From Laughing Man Are No Joke.

I am determined. I won’t give up on something if I feel there’s something good there. Because there were a few moments there where we were like, “We’ve got the cafes, that’s great, and I was like, “No, that’s not me. We can make this if we spend six or seven years doing it.”

The other thing is, I really rely on people I work with, who are around me, who will work seven days a week. These guys in here, our director of coffee and also our operations people - it’s every day. So our philosophy with the café is if you’re thinking to yourself, “Is Laughing Man Open?” the answer is yes. During Hurricane Sandy, we had a table out in the middle of the street with lamps, our block had power - or no - our block didn’t, so the other café had power. So they were bringing coffee to all the residents during a hurricane. Every day, we are open. That’s because these guys will do day in and day out.

My real focus, No. 1, is my family. No. 2 is my acting, my career. So this is probably like a third focus, and if it weren’t for people who were doing this every single day, we would have failed a long time ago. So I’ve learned that, too.

He Can't Wait To Hang Out With His Coffee's Growers Again.

I’m gonna go back there. I promised I’d take my kids back there when the trees were bearing fruits, so we’re gonna take them back there. And I feel we’re only just beginning. I think we really only turned a profit about 18 months ago, in a meaningful way, where we had something to give back, so that’s really exciting, getting that feedback from them.

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