The American Coffee Drinker is a Colombian Coffee Drinker

The reputation of Colombian coffee precedes itself. Since even before the launch of the incredibly successful “Juan Valdéz” campaign in 1958, Colombian coffee had been experiencing astronomical leaps and advances in production and exports, experiencing 1900% growth during a 40 year period at the turn of the 20th century. The 1958 campaign itself was developed by an American advertising firm and aimed at an American audience, encouraging gringos to buy 100% Colombian coffee, a novel approach that still resonates in the industry today.

And, given the geography and climate of Colombia, both coasts of the United States have received coffee exports from both coasts of Colombia nearly year-round for over a century. The ubiquitousness is unmatched: The American coffee drinker is a Colombian coffee drinker.

It’s actually a pretty wild thought: The American palate has been shaped by Colombian coffee for more than 100 years, and we’ve been marketed to (relentlessly!) for almost 70 of those years that Colombia is synonymous with quality. So roasters and shop owners must ask themselves: If our customers are subconsciously expecting Colombian coffee, how do we consciously (and conscientiously) meet their needs?

In an attempt to answer that question, we have been working for a number of years with a mix of cooperatives and grower’s associations to access larger volumes of these styles of coffees for those roasters that need a year-round option. Cooperatives and associations play a crucial role in bridging small-holders to larger markets by taking away the “small fish, big pond” dynamic that those families with maybe only one hectare of production might face when looking for a stable buyer. Particularly in southern Colombia, we’ve worked with the Terra brand of growers’ associations, led by brothers Wbeimar and Evelio Lasso, to deliver stability in cup and volume to our roaster customers for years.

Specifially in Huila, our cupping team has focused on a small group of producers in and around the village of Saladoblanco. This washed castillo/caturra blend lot is everything that makes Colombia a trusted origin for an “elevated-yet-familiar” experience, giving a real sense of local Huila terroir while still being distinctly Colombian.

And then in Nariño, just outside the town of La Unión, we’ve committed to a lot that was nicknamed “El Dulce” by the Lasso brothers. Created in the Terra cupping lab, the Lasso brothers work this washed castillo/caturra blend lot with 20-30 producers in a geographic region close to the famed monastery “Ermita Santa María Magdalena”, from which they separated out the sweetest lots, hence the name “El Dulce,” or “The Sweetest One” in English. These volcanic soils and sky-high farms, some reaching well above 2000masl, combine to create one of our most popular imports of all time.

These lots are just two examples of the range and depth of “classic” Colombian profiles, and are, hands down, the answer to the question of how to begin to build a volume-focused menu without losing quality. Through main crop and fly crop harvests since 2021, these lots have been some of the most consistent coffees we’ve enjoyed, and we’re pleased to make them available to you as well. Volume is available year-round, and bulk pricing (including full container loads) is available in a variety of packages. If you’ve been considering revamping your Colombian base coffees, don’t hesitate to reach out to start working on a solution!