Loom Coffee Co.

Preorder - Ethiopia: Guji Tsebel Washed

$8.00 - $16.00

Jasmine blossom, lilac, lemon sugar and white peach

It's our pleasure to present Tsebel - a washed blend of Guji, Typica and Heirloom varieties sourced by the team at Catalyst Trade from smallholders in the Hambela Wamena district of the Guji zone.

This item is a Preorder! If you purchase this coffee, it'll be roasted on Monday, 1/30 and shipped via USPS on Tuesday, 1/31.

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We've really been looking forward to bringing some coffees from Catalyst Trade to our menu - they're Ethiopian-American owned, woman-led coffee importers driven by a dedication to sustainability, equality and innovation.

.."everyone who works in coffee deserves to experience the rewards of their labor through increased quality of life and more equitable profit distribution."

A cornerstone of Catalyst's responsible sourcing program, Tsebel represents the collaboration of many hands throughout the coffee supply chain. This particular lot was sourced from long-time Catalyst partner Aklilu Kassa, whose family owns or supports a wide network of washing stations and farms in the Guji zone. Tsebel is Catalyst Trade's custom organic blend of washed coffees from these sites, developed with a specific flavor profile in mind - the classic "Washed Ethiopia" moment, giving lively citrus and bright fruit with delicate florals.

Honduras: La Esmeralda - 72 Hour Double Fermentation Natural

$12.50

Champagne, pink grapefruit, sweet pastry

This coffee won us over at the cupping table; it’s bright, rich, playfully sweet and dynamic. Brought to the states by our friends at De La Finca Coffee Importers, this lot comes from La Esmeralda - their experimental farm project in La Sampedrama, Comayagua.

A portion of proceeds from this coffee are donated to Educate2Envision, promoting education initiatives and youth scholarships in rural Honduras.

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“La Sampedrama is an under-promoted area in the Comayagua region with high altitude, volcanic soil, and is rich in culture. We wanted a farm in the area where we could have more control over the quality and consistency on larger experimental specialty lots including varietals like geisha, pink bourbon, parainema which we've planted and will be coming in the next few years.”

-De La Finca

This offering is available in limited supply, so it’s a real treat for us to bring it to our menu. We’re sure you’ll appreciate this special lot as much as we do - a great example of the spirit of innovation that the De La Finca team brings to the Honduran coffee scene.

El Salvador: Los Pirineos Honey Bourbon

$12.50

Candied cherry, toasted sesame and orange zest

Among the newest in our lineup of coffees is a delicious Bourbon varietal from Los Pirineos farm in El Salvador. Produced by Diego Baraona — a fifth generation coffee producer carrying on the tradition and legacy of over 130 years of experience cultivated by his family.

We find some truly unique flavors in this coffee - it’s warming, like mulled spices with candied cherry, toasted sesame and sweet buttery chick-o-stick candies complemented by a juicy orange acidity.

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Baraona’s farm at Los Pirineos is situated on the flanks of a lone volcano at a height of 1400 meters above sea level. This particular location offers a unique microclimate, with sunny days and chilly breezes, making the area perfect for growing, processing, and drying coffee. Diego has made excellent use of this climate by positioning his raised drying beds between two peaks, which creates a wind tunnel through which a breeze regularly blows. The beds are exposed to the sun for twelve hours every day, and the constant wind controls the temperature, making it the perfect place to grow honey and natural coffees.

Quality is paramount at Los Pirineos, but Diego also considers social and environmental responsibilities. All of the water used in production and processing of the coffee comes from collected rainwater. Bees are also raised here for honey production and for their numerous benefits to the area's ecosystem. Around 60 people are employed by Diego on the farm, and he makes an effort to ensure that those who harvest the coffee are also working on other tasks there throughout the year for reliable and sustainable labor.

This lot of Bourbon coffee underwent Black Honey processing. After harvest, ripe cherries are pulped and the mucilage is left intact. Pulped coffee is then spread in a thin layer on shaded raised drying beds. The shade provides an extended drying time relative to other honey processes used at Los Pirineos - coffee is dried for about 25 days until reaching the optimal humidity.

De La Finca Marcala: Organic Honey Anaerobic

$12.50

Raisinet, green apple, sweet lemon and brown sugar

Reminiscent of Raisinet candy, this Honduran coffee From De La Finca Coffee's experimental Marcala Farm Project gives us brown sugar sweetness, with subtle wine notes hinting towards the anaerobic processing. A top note of succulent green apple provides a balanced malic acidity for a clear, bright and well-rounded cup.

A portion of proceeds from this coffee are donated to Educate2Envision, promoting education initiatives and youth scholarships in rural Honduras.

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Reminiscent of Raisinet candy, this Honduran coffee from De La Finca Coffee's Marcala Farm Project gives us brown sugar sweetness, with subtle wine notes hinting towards the anaerobic processing. A top note of succulent green apple provides a balanced malic acidity for a clear, bright and well-rounded cup.

We were introduced to this coffee by our friends at De La Finca Coffee Importers - a direct-trade coffee importer founded by fifth-generation coffee farmer, Nelson Raul Amador. Nelson started De La Finca with the goal of eliminating the middlemen between producers and consumers;

“Instead of seeing coffee pass through as many as 6-8 hands between farmers and consumers (as is usual in the coffee industry), I make genuine, direct connections between coffee roasters, consumers, and coffee producers, like my family.”

- Nelson Raul Amador, Founder of De La Finca Coffee Importers

In the fall of 2019, De La Finca purchased a 9-acre property in Marcala, La Paz (the specialty coffee hub of their home country of Honduras) as an experimental specialty farm. While their family's farms are mainly located three hours away in the Comayagua region, De La Finca's property in Marcala allows for research and experimentation with various coffee production and processing methods without interfering with production on their family's farms.

As they grow, De La Finca intends to use the Marcala, La Paz property as an example farm, implementing and teaching best industry practices. By training other producers in what they're learning in terms of production and operations, and offering workers higher wages and year-round employment, De La Finca is leading by example to positively impact and transform the specialty coffee industry in Honduras.

Blog posts

Finding A Home for Every Coffee with Nelson Amador

by Alejandra Bedoya 7 min read

Nelson Raul Amador was born into the world of coffee. He's a fifth generation coffee farmer from Honduras and founder of De La Finca Coffee - a direct trade green coffee importer bringing the best of Honduran coffees to roasters in the US. The exceptional Honduras coffees on our menu at Loom Coffee Co. represent years of Nelson's efforts to bridge the gap between farmers, roasters and coffee consumers. Beyond the coffee trade, he's forged a strong partnership with Educate2Envision, a non-profit organization building secondary schools in Honduras, as well as providing youth scholarships and other initiatives in the region.

Join blog contributor Alexandra Bedoya and Loom Coffee Co. founder Christopher Pierce as we hear Nelson's story in his own words.

Union efforts in the coffee industry

by Dani Straughan 9 min read

Is there change brewing for workers in the coffee industry?

We are at a major turning point when it comes to labor in the US.

Cafe workers have faced issues in the workplace for a long time, though unionization has historically been low in the sector. As workplace issues have become exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, workers are realizing the benefits that unionization can offer.

Aiden Graham (NC AFL-CIO) suggests that “we need pretty substantial labor law reform in the US to start going in the right direction.” The process for law reform can be long and drawn out, though.

He offers one other suggestion, however:

“The other thing that we need is workers organizing, anywhere and everywhere they can.”

A Living Wage for Coffee Service Workers

by Dani Straughan 6 min read

Contributor Dani Straughan explores the conversation around the Living Wage in the US coffee industry - featuring an interview with Elle Taylor of Denver, CO based Amethyst Coffee Company:

..“No worker is 'living' right now. We all have to work 40 hours a week just to keep a roof over our head and food on our table, when food and shelter are necessary for survival and should be guaranteed rights, not for-profit enterprises.”

..'The service industry has the highest sector of people earning minimum or just above minimum wage. A lot of people don’t realize that the last time that the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour was raised was in 2009. The fact that the minimum wage hasn’t kept pace with a changing economy has made life precarious for low wage earners, and kept many at or just above the poverty line.'

..'There are many in the coffee industry who continue to earn low wages, but the time for change is afoot... people are seeking out a more conscientious cup.'