About

Susan Yakoub is a self described specialty coffee enthusiast with humble beginnings as a Starbucks barista and coffee lead. She was in charge of tasting the new single origin coffee offerings and explaining the tasting notes to her team. Susan learned about cupping and how coffee beans are sourced during this time, which furthered her love for coffee. It was around this time that she learned about specialty coffee, and how that is vastly different from Starbucks.

Susan then moved to a manager position at a local coffee shop where the coffee was roasted on site. It was during her time at that shop that she developed her knowledge of specialty coffee, from farming practices, processing methods, roast profiles, and cupping. In the summer of 2020, Susan took a virtual roasting class hosted by Mill City Roasters and that finalized her decision to start her own coffee company. 

Inspired by her Assyrian heritage, Ishtar Coffee was born. The brand has gone through many changes but one thing has stayed consistent: to bring people their daily dose of divinity. Ishtar Coffee aims to encourage people to slow down and enjoy the everyday magic of life, starting with taking the time to brew a great cup of coffee. 

Susan also wants to educate others on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home. She led a live demonstration on how to brew kahve, also known as Turkish coffee, at Coffee Fest in Duluth, MN. It was during this presentation that she realized how valuable education is, not just to baristas and coffee professionals, but to the everyday coffee consumer as well.

Susan is excited to share her love of specialty coffee to everyone and proudly represent her Assyrian heritage.

Coffee Fest 2021

Our first vendor event. Coffee Fest is hosted by The Depot in Duluth, MN.

Community & Kahve

Susan's live demonstration on how to brew kahve and the art of fortune telling with the coffee grounds.