The story of MULO Artigiani del Caffè tells the tale of two Italian gentlemen who journeyed to Vietnam in search of coffee perfection. Combining Vietnam’s finest beans with Italian coffee roasting expertise, their blends celebrate the quintessence of Italian coffee culture and the art of espresso.
The name Mulo, the Italian word for mule, is taken from the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. It’s a tough, resilient beast of toil, used in many countries for the transportation of coffee beans from plantation to farm. This strong, hardy animal gives its name to MULO Artigiani del Caffè, symbolising the hybrid combination of Vietnamese beans and Italian coffee roasting know-how.
Mulo was founded by Fabio Fasolo and Daniele Melito, two Italians who have come together with a shared passion for coffee. Fabio has a background in F&B management for luxury brands, which has taken him around Asia to countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and now Vietnam. Daniele is a professional coffee roaster and an experienced barista who perfected his skills in the coffee shops of Rome and Taiwan. Together, they have the know-how and expertise to create some truly memorable coffees.
The duo hatched their coffee-preneurial idea while working together in Taiwan, and decided on Vietnam as their destination, believing that it’s the best country in Asia for working with coffee from farm to cup. They moved here in 2019 and spent the following year immersed in the country’s coffee culture, visiting farms, developing their business model, experimenting with roasts and selecting the best beans for their blends. Over time, they built relationships with farmers and established a direct-trade supply chain that provides complete traceability of their coffee beans, guaranteeing quality and preferential pricing that they can pass on to their customers.
The coffees Daniele blends are freshly roasted in small batches to customers’ specifications, so the final product maintains the distinct aroma typical of freshly roasted beans. Once roasted, the beans are ground to the size required for the intended brew method so that the best results from brewing and extraction are guaranteed each time.
Drawing on his extensive experience, Daniele has created 3 unique signature blends - Dolce Far Niente, Tenace and Fine Robusta, each showcasing the characteristics of their individual beans to the fullest. Dolce Far Niente or ‘sweet do nothing’ is a common term used by Italians and chosen as the blend contains a very high percentage of Arabica Typica, delicate and low in caffeine contents. Perfect even for afternoon time when you are in a ‘dolce far niente’ mood.
If Dolce Far Niente is the typical blend used for the delicate espressos of Northern Italy, then Tenace is its alto ego from the warm and passionate south of the country where more intense flavours are preferred. Tenace is the Italian translation of “tenacious-strong” and represents the characteristic of this intense blend. It is also representative of the mule after which the company is named.
To complete their three signature blends, the Italian duo decided to pay tribute to Robusta, the bean that has enabled Vietnam to become a world-class coffee producer. Made from handselected beans grown at elevations normally reserved for Arabic shrubs, Fine Robusta is a full-bodied, single-origin 100% Robusta coffee that combines the traditional nutty flavour of Robusta with subtle citrus undertones. If espresso or other Italian style of coffees are your choice, pick up a bag of MULO Artigiani del Caffè and enjoy the best of Italian coffee know-how artfully blended with some truly excellent Vietnamese beans.
