Barista Naeem

My name is Muhammad Naeem Khan, better known as Naeem Barista. I am 20 years old and currently employed as a barista at DROP Coffee Bar in Karachi. Originally from Muzaffarabad, Punjab, I moved to Karachi at a very young age; I must have been seven at the time.

I did not have any exposure to coffee until the age of 17 nor had I ever imagined I would be working as a barista at one of Karachi’s best specialty coffee shop. So how does a kid from a small city in Punjab end up in this position? Well, it all started with my first job at IHOP Karachi where I was first exposed to coffee and the barista profession.

I worked at IHOP tirelessly for about 7 months until I was introduced to Muhammad Islam by my mentor and head barista at IHOP. Islam bhai offered me an opportunity at upcoming coffee shop brand. Aspiring to grow in the coffee industry, I took the leap and made the switch.

However, a week into my new job I had to return to my hometown due to unforeseen circumstances. Upon my return after a few weeks, I was very distressed as I no longer had a source of income.

I wanted to remain in the coffee industry as I had fallen for this craft and enjoyed working behind the bar. Thankfully, Islam bhai came through for me again and told me about an interesting new concept coffee shop of Drop Coffee in DHA Karachi. This was the start of my association with DROP coffee and since then I have worked at all three outlets of DROP Coffee. DROP coffee was probably my first real exposure to the enthralling world of specialty coffee and the third wave. For a while, I was hooked on cold brew and started having tons of it. Slowly, I realized the effect this excess of caffeine was having on me and had to cut down. I tapered my consumption and switched over to milk-based espresso drinks. These days, I love a good cortado or a nice latte.

I’m very thankful for having stumbled upon the world of coffee; I was a tea-drinking kid who had never imagined that coffee had so much nuance and the potential to become my primary source of income. Nomad Coffee, Islam Bhai, DROP and the barista community in the city have been incredibly supportive of me and my ambition. They’ve helped me learn and grow a lot in terms of both professional and personal skills.

I havedone my level one certification in Barista Skills with Barista Guild Asia and Nomad Coffee Studio, I aspire to continue learning and plan to take further training to sharpen my skill set.

If you’re interested in my journey and want to see me pour some beautiful latte art, you can follow me @its_nk_barista_