A top-down view of a latte in a yellow ceramic cup featuring heart-shaped foam art, set against a dark background with vibrant purple, pink, and orange graphic stripes flowing toward the cup.

NHM Online Presents L.A. Culture in a Cup, an online series celebrating the diversity of Los Angeles and its people through the lens of beverages and their significant vessels that bring us together.

In a city defined by its vibrant cultures and diverse neighborhoods, we explore how the ways we share a drink tell a story of history, ritual, and connection. From dynamic cafés, juice bars, and essential community gathering spots, this project highlights the artistry of cultural drinks and the unique vessels that hold them. We showcase how these individuals and businesses go beyond the norm to build community, celebrate resilience, and embrace L.A. in unique ways. By looking behind everything from ancestral drinks like pulque to global favorites like hot sand coffee and vibrant aguas frescas, we invite Angelenos to savor flavors, craftsmanship, and histories from around the world, celebrating the creativity and community that make Los Angeles thrive. 

South LA Cafe co-founders Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace smiling together inside their cafe. A teal graphic banner across the bottom features the company name and their signature "Western" horchata latte.

Story

Brewing Resistance & Resilience

South LA Cafe | Celia & Joe Ward-Wallace

Drink it in!
A wide-angle, eye-level studio photograph shows a deep, rounded bowl crafted from a polished coconut shell. The bowl is tilted slightly to the right, resting on a small, pointed nub at its base. It sits against a neutral, light-gray background. A black-and-white centimeter scale bar is positioned in the foreground for size reference.
A Virtual Tour of the "Cup" Collections

Explore the collections of the Natural History Museum through the lens of the vessel!

Check it out

Drink it all in as we keep the stories flowing! 

Stay tuned as we brew up something special for the next months' refreshing features.

Celina Lopez and her mother Maricruz stand in front of their red building.

Celina Lopez and her mother, Maricruz bring us behind the scene at Cruzita's Deli and Cafe.

Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas stand by an A-frame sign with the Sip & Sonder Logo outside their Inglewood location.

Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas give us the run down on how they found themselves running cafes and creating space at Sip & Sonder.

Kavat founders Serj Tankian and Ara Ajounian stand in their back patio in front of a brick wall.

Serj Tankian and partner Ara Ajounian of Kavat show us how they make sweet music together, brewing coffee the Armenian way.

A man stands in a diner wearing a Canter's shirt hold a glass with a bloody mary

Join us at the world famous Canter's Deli for a delicious Pickle-infused Bloody Mary—briny, bold, and steeped in a century of LA Jewish deli history.

Bald man with black-rimmed glasses behind a minimalist bar, mixing a coffee cocktail.

One barista. One bar. No shortcuts. Watching Jack Benchakul at Endorffeine is the coffee equivalent of sitting at a chef’s table.

Blond woman in a black long sleeve shirt, standing behind a wooden bar, holding a cocktail glass.

The Ruby Fruit isn’t just a bar—it’s a signal. Silver Lake, sapphically inclined, radically inclusive.

Woman standing at a marble table, combining tea leaves in a mortar and pestle, while a man stands next to her, smiling down at her.

Meet Brenden Shah at the Chado Tea Room, where each pour is more than a ritual—it connects L.A. to the world.

Three men and two women standing shoulder to shoulder in a group photo of staff at a coffee shop.

Enjoy delicious Mayan flavors at Ulew in Boyle Heights.

Asian woman in black t-shirt and black bandana preparing an iced coffee drink at a coffee shop.

Pouring the Filipino Iced Coffee at Obet & Del’s café in Hollywood’s Thai Town isn’t just craft, it’s culture and heritage in liquid form.

Two men in dark t-shirt standing with an arm around each other's shoulders in front of an abstract art mural of a face.

At Mírate, Max Reis and Chef Alan Sanz share their twist on pulque, in a new way that honors pre-Hispanic Mexican heritage.

Woman in short-sleeved white top, with long brown hair, leans over a wooden table, holding a white teapot surrounded by bowls full of ingredients.

At Pyet’s Plate, Chef Pyet DeSpain blends Native American and Mexican-American heritage in delicious creations of ‘Indigenous Fusion'.

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Celina Lopez and her mother, Maricruz bring us behind the scene at Cruzita's Deli and Cafe.

Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas give us the run down on how they found themselves running cafes and creating space at Sip & Sonder.

Serj Tankian and partner Ara Ajounian of Kavat show us how they make sweet music together, brewing coffee the Armenian way.

Join us at the world famous Canter's Deli for a delicious Pickle-infused Bloody Mary—briny, bold, and steeped in a century of LA Jewish deli history.

One barista. One bar. No shortcuts. Watching Jack Benchakul at Endorffeine is the coffee equivalent of sitting at a chef’s table.

The Ruby Fruit isn’t just a bar—it’s a signal. Silver Lake, sapphically inclined, radically inclusive.

Meet Brenden Shah at the Chado Tea Room, where each pour is more than a ritual—it connects L.A. to the world.

Enjoy delicious Mayan flavors at Ulew in Boyle Heights.

Pouring the Filipino Iced Coffee at Obet & Del’s café in Hollywood’s Thai Town isn’t just craft, it’s culture and heritage in liquid form.

At Mírate, Max Reis and Chef Alan Sanz share their twist on pulque, in a new way that honors pre-Hispanic Mexican heritage.

At Pyet’s Plate, Chef Pyet DeSpain blends Native American and Mexican-American heritage in delicious creations of ‘Indigenous Fusion'.

Explore stories of community, culture, and history