The third is for blessing.
Ethiopia is where coffee began, and the buna ceremony that grew around it is poured in three rounds — Abol, Tona, Bereka. The first cup is for greeting, the second for wisdom, the third for blessing. The front of this tee holds the ceremony itself: Bert, still and unbothered, wreathed in the amber steam of the jebena, with cini cups, beans, cherries, and grass laid out below. The back names the three cups in Ge'ez and English. There is no punchline here — only respect for the place that gave the world its morning.
Earth tones chosen with intent: black for the reverence of the ceremony, espresso for jebena clay and origin soil, forest for the highlands where coffee was born. Garment-dyed, so each piece settles into its own slightly lived-in shade.
The Design Story
This is the origin piece of the Steeping the Soul series — the world coffee tour that begins where coffee actually began. The front is the ceremony itself, and every element is real, not decorative: the brass-toned jebena; the small handleless cini cups on the tray; the beans and red cherries; the scattered grass; the amber steam Bert sits quietly within; and the SBOF mark worked softly into the scene. Read where coffee began →
The back carries the heart of it — the three rounds of the ceremony, named in Ge'ez and English: እቦል • ቶና • በረከት (Abol • Tona • Bereka). The first cup is for greeting. The second is for wisdom. The third is for blessing. The script is treated as honored text, never ornament. If the Japanese piece whispers and the Mexican piece sings, the Ethiopian piece prays — the most grounded design in the series, and the one we made most quietly. See all Clothing & Gear →
Craft & Details
Bert says: Where coffee was born, the cup is never rushed.
Perfect for anyone who treats the morning cup as a ritual
Size & Fit Details
Comfort Colors runs relaxed and slightly boxy. S–3XL.
Fabric & Print Details
Wash & Care
About the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
The buna ceremony is the heart of Ethiopian hospitality — coffee's birthplace honoring coffee. Green beans are roasted over coals and carried around so guests can take in the smoke; frankincense burns throughout; the beans are ground and brewed in the jebena and poured into small cini cups. Fresh grass and flowers are scattered for abundance. Coffee is served in three rounds: Abol (the first cup, for greeting), Tona (the second, for wisdom), and Bereka (the third, for blessing). It is unhurried by design — the point is the gathering, not the cup.
About the Steeping the Soul Series
A world coffee tour — Bert resting with the traditional vessel of each coffee culture, each with its own palette, script, and feeling. The Japanese piece whispers (the tea cup, stillness). The Mexican piece sings (the café de olla, warmth). The Puerto Rican piece tells stories (the colador, family). The Ethiopian piece prays (the jebena, the ceremony). Made to let someone from each culture feel seen, and someone outside it feel curious.
