The word “coffeeshop” has a whole different connotation in Amsterdam than in does anywhere else in the world. And that connotation is of course weeeeeeeeeeeeeed. Amsterdam’s legendary more-or-less legal status has long made it a hub for the stickiest of the icky on the European continent (even though some Amsterdam legislatures are trying to change that), and the city still enjoys a network of cafes of varying prominence and popularity, from the tourist zones of Centrum to more chill locations in the city’s various neighborhoods. Some (but certainly not all) of the Amsterdam coffeeshops serve pretty great coffee, though the city’s coffee scene and the city’s “coffeeshop” scene remain pretty far apart in most instances.
In the American zeitgeist, there is perhaps no more famous marijuana enthusiast than Calvin Broadus, Jr., better known as Snoog Dogg. Coming off his duties hosting the Paris Olympics, where he was also the most excited spectator in attendance at literally every event, Snoop is having a bit of a moment right now, and it doesn’t look like he is in any mood to end his European vacation. So where else would the Doggfather go but Amsterdam, where he has opened his own coffeeshop.
As reported by HipHopDX.com, SWED Coffee—short for Smoke Weed Every Day, a reference to The Next Episode by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop—is the first of the rap legend’s officially branded dispensaries in Amsterdam and second location overall, the first being in his hometown of Los Angeles.
Along with selling cannabis products, the very chic SWED Amsterdam pays tribute to Snoop’s music career, including “a Death Row electric chair, graffiti on the walls, and various bits of music memorabilia including a section dedicated to his seminal debut album.” There’s also a giant transparent Westcoast hand-sign art piece, a Doberman statue, and a white with blue accent bandana print ceiling.
And because this is a coffeeshop, there is coffee. Eagle-eyed viewers of the Instagram video of SWED’s grand opening will note a two-group espresso machine and silver grinder in one of the quick cutaway shots, though the quality of the coffee program remains unclear.
Historically, coffee has been an afterthought at Amsterdam coffeeshops, but Snoop is no stranger to the specialty coffee world. Last year, he helped launch Indonesian specialty coffee line INDOxyz—Indo being a homonym of endo, slang for marijuana—before pulling out of the venture shortly thereafter. Still, Snoop has a taste for the finer things that may transfer over to the legally-required attachment to his cannabis selling operation.
I’m not asking for Scandinavian Embassy here, just a nice enough black-and-green combo to make the 40-minute stroll to the ScandiEmbo in De Pijp that much more pleasant.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
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Zac Cadwalader
August 20, 2024
