American goes viral after failing to find a bad coffee in Australia - Drinks News

Mar 30, 2026

An American man has gone viral after his failed quest to find a bad cup of coffee in Australia. Words Eleanor Wicklund.

Zack Telander, a musician who recently toured Australia, documented his journey in a series of videos that have racked up millions of views. They show just how staggering the gap is between the Aussie cafe scene and the standards back in the United States.

In his first video, which has amassed 1.3 million views, Telander said he was convinced that he hadn’t yet had a bad coffee in Australia. He set out to prove the point that high-quality caffeine “just comes to you” Down Under, whereas in America, good coffee does exist, but you have to go searching for it.

He began wandering the streets and then ducked into the first coffee shop he saw. Inside, he ordered a flat white and was visibly shocked after taking the first sip.

“What the…? That must be the best cup of coffee that I think I’ve ever had,” he exclaimed, before immediately ordering a second cup to ensure the first wasn’t a “fluke”.

Telander before and after he has his first Australian coffee.

While the shop turned out to be the award-winning Axil Coffee Roasters – where 2025 World Barista Champion Jack Simpson works – Telander wondered if he had just gotten lucky and continued his quest.

In his next clip, he walks just a couple of hundred metres away to the next “victim” he spotted – another cafe picked at random.

It was here that he tried the ‘magic’ – a Melbourne cult-favourite coffee order which is made up of a double ristretto and steamed milk served in a small cup.

“I’ve just been told I have to get it… I don’t even want to know what it is,” Telander told the barista, before once again being stunned by the quality.

“It’s f***ing exceptional coffee,” he said. “There is simply no coffee experience like this anywhere in America, and I will completely stand my ground on that.”

By day three, and having only found “perfect” coffees, Telander tried a Mont Blanc – an iced coffee topped with thick, sweetened cream. After taking a few moments to process what he just drank, Telander widens his eyes and gasps.

“I know I seem hyperbolic on these reviews, but I’m losing my mind,” he says. “Not only am I not finding bad coffee, but I’m also continuously having the best cup of coffee that I have ever had in my life.”

Sadly, that’s where his Australian coffee journey ended, as he had to return to the US – but he did continue his viral series back home.

To fairly judge the coffee of the two countries, he decided to visit an American 7-Eleven – having tried two-dollar 7-Eleven coffee in Australia, which he said “was not bad at all”. However, the US version was apparently so bad that he had to spit it out on the footpath outside.

For twice the price of the Australian equivalent, he was served “filter drip” coffee that had allegedly been sitting in a hot pot for hours.

“It’s the worst coffee I’ve ever had,” he said, through gags.

If Melbourne wasn’t famous enough for coffee already, the Mont Blanc sent it into the stratosphere.

Speaking to the ABC, Telander explained that he had developed a “thesis” about why Australian coffee is so much better than US coffee.

“So in America, every product, every service that we have, we really look for convenience and usefulness,” he explained.

“So when we synthesise everything down to those two traits, the things that we don’t really care about as much are aesthetic and quality.”

He blamed capitalism for “taking out as much as possible to maximise profit margins,” adding that “coffee is the perfect metaphor for that”.

Australian coffee culture really began post-WWII after the arrival of Italian and Greek immigrants, who brought espresso machines and a sophisticated European cafe culture to our shores.

While America leaned into the mass-produced, watery ‘drip’ coffee in the 1950s, Australians were mastering the art of steaming and foaming techniques.

flat white — Australian coffee stands proudly among the best in the world.

Australian coffee has since become world-renowned, thanks to its high-quality, lightly roasted beans; whereas American coffee often uses darker, more bitter roasts.

Also, Aussie baristas typically undergo extensive training, whereas US coffee is often automated or served as large-batch drip coffee.

Social media commenters flooded the videos, with many soaking up the international validation.

“Once you try Melbourne coffee, you never go back,” the official Visit Melbourne Instagram account wrote.

“Welcome to Australia – best coffee in the world,” someone else said.

“The only thing Australians love more than great coffee is people from overseas telling us how great the coffee is,” wrote a third.

This article originally appeared on news.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission, and has been edited for style and clarity.