When Latin pop duo Mau Y Ricky decided to build out their dream studio in Miami, they knew espresso had to be part of their plan. “I think coffee has taken on the role of being like a bridge,” says Mau. More than just a recording studio, Casablanca is a creative sanctuary where artists can come and collaborate with the brothers or work on their own material. But they also want the compound to be a social space, where people can meet and spark new connections. To fuel those connections, they turned to La Marzocco.
Tucked away behind palm trees and a small fence, Casablanca is unassuming from the outside. Inside, however, a custom Officine Fratelli Bambi Linea Classic is visible from the lounge in an archway cut out specifically to house the machine.
Originally, Mau and Ricky considered a home espresso machine set up for Casablanca’s kitchen. But when they considered how they wanted to bring people together, a full commercial setup made more sense for the space. “Casablanca is a place where we are pursuing excellence in everything we do. So we wanted to have the very best espresso machine for this place,” says Ricky.
“I dream of the moment of seeing my peers and a lot of the people I look up to saying in different interviews that their best work came out of here. And I dream of the moment where they say, ‘Not only was it my best work, but it’s also where I’ve drank the best coffee,'” says Mau.
Casablanca studio isn’t open to the public, but Mau and Ricky hope to host different events in the space in the years to come, celebrating special moments between them and their peers over espresso. “I feel like coffee has a unique role in the world… not only in our family or our lives, but also throughout Latin America,” says Mau.
You can visit Mau y Ricky on Instagram and listen to their music on YouTube.
