We're thrilled to bring you three incredible coffees this month from Kenya, Uganda, and Colombia. If you're not already a Utopian subscriber, learn more and get started now! Colombia Maria Manuela Maria Manuel is one of the smallholder producers in the Miranda Cauca Community that we were able to source from this year. She oversees about one hectare (2.47 acres) of land where she has [...]
El Salvador Buenos Aires One of the major issues in specialty coffee today is the drastically changing landscape on several levels. Fifty years ago coffee farming was a much different endeavor than it is today. Quality was not the first and foremost concern, quantity was. Producing more and more coffee was the goal, not producing the most high-quality coffee. As a result, many farmers have [...]
Looking to start a subscription? Check it out HERE Use Code WELCOME2FRESH at checkout for 50% off your first order with a new subscription. Colombia - Clemira Lasso Earlier this year we brought in over 20,000 pounds of coffee from our partner-farmers in Cauca, Colombia. From over 20 separate lots we chose a handful to highlight as single-farmer-selects. One of these standout lots came from [...]
Sign up for Subscriptions HERE Uganda - Kapchurwa Community Uganda is a really unique coffee origin. Most of the varieties growing in Uganda originated in neighboring Kenya where they were replanted and eventually transformed in the unique micro climate of Mt. Elgon, where coffee farmers found perfect elevations to grow specialty coffee. This lot in particular comes from the Sebei tribe who until recently were [...]
"This is the most we've ever been paid for anything." -Pablo Taquinas on Utopian Coffee purchasing coffee from both his farm as well as his neighbors Utopian Direct Relationship - Cocaine to Coffee We are extremely pumped to announce the 2020 Cocaine to Coffee project launch! We currently have three coffees available, with the first being a single-farmer light roast from Mireya Espinosa. [...]
Hey everyone, my name is Nick and I roast and source coffee for Utopian. As we reach the end of April, we're beginning to gear up for a set of new coffees joining our subscription. For those of you who are new to our subscription, I want to give you a quick rundown on what to expect: If you sign up for our subscription you [...]
Burner on our Diedrich CR-25 Roaster When it comes to learning about coffee, nothing seems to be more difficult to understand than coffee roasting. I want to break down some barriers and give you the roaster-perspective on some pretty common questions I hear on a regular basis. -Roaster Nick Question 1. What Causes the Difference Between Light, Medium, and Dark Roast? This is a [...]
The Variety Conversation When it comes to talking about coffee, one topic that seems to keep popping up is how the variety affects flavor in the final cup. When we talk about varieties (cultivars), what we mean is what kind of plant is growing. In the world of coffee there is a multitude of varieties, all stemming from the same heirloom coffea arabica (aka the OG [...]
Environmental sustainability is a huge buzzword in the coffee industry, and for good reason. Our partner-farmers in Colombia have reported increasingly irregular weather patterns that complicate coffee production, causing massive quality control issues. Undoubtedly, climate change has enormous repercussions on coffee production and unless coffee-roasting companies take meaningful steps, these trends will continue to plague our farmer-partners who dedicate their lives to growing stellar coffees. [...]
Traveling into the region of Cauca is an adventure. The landscape is beautiful and from the plane, the view of the green jungles beckon to me through the minuscule window, teasing my heart with what lies ahead. While the Colombian people of this region are warm and inviting, political circumstances and unsettled terrain battles have dealt them a hand of cards that still leaves significant [...]
Bani Ismail Lot 5 Sana’a Governorate, Yemen Mystical Coffee Much of coffee’s early history is shrouded in mystery and folklore. Legends of goat farmers discovering coffee and its magical effects on the body have passed through generations, and have influenced the entire way we think about the drink. For years coffee was considered a mysterious drink, one Ottoman king even putting the drink on trial [...]
 Mineral flavors in East African coffees I have tasted a great deal of coffees from the collection of countries surrounding Lake Victoria in East Africa. Ugandan, Rwandan, and Burundian coffees tend to share a common flavor characteristic which I call "minerality." While this term is common in the world of fine wine, it is less commonly used, if hardly ever, to describe coffee characteristics. [...]
Get to Know Us is a series of blogs featuring interviews with members of the Utopian team. Today we're featuring Nathan, who essentially integrates technology and keeps things running smoothly and efficiently! Read the following interview to learn more about what Nathan does and what he loves about Utopian Coffee! Tell us about the moment you became interested in specialty coffee: My coffee story begins [...]
If you’re reading this blog and are familiar with our coffees, chances are you’ve had a chance to drink one of our favorites: the Siembra de Mujer. The Siembra de Mujeres comes from western Guatemala; specifically, it grows in a region known as Huehuetenango. Very rural and extremely mountainous, Huehue (as many nickname it) is known for producing some of the tastiest coffee in the [...]
 1. Coffee begins as a fruit When most people think about coffee all they see is the end product: the roasted beans. But long before coffee is ready to be consumed it begins as a fruit. Found in the tropical regions of the globe, coffee trees (to be scientifically accurate, from the plant family Rubiaceae, genus coffea) produce cherries which are picked when fully ripe. Inside [...]
The French Press is a full-immersion brewing method, meaning all the coffee grounds will become "immersed" by hot water for several minutes before being filtered and served. Step 1. Weigh and Heat The first step in brewing on a French Press is to weigh the beans. For the average French Press we will use 50 grams of coffee. After weighing the beans, use hot water [...]
A brewing method that perfectly unites full-immersion and pressure to create a one-of-a-kind brewing experience. Step 1. Weigh Beans For brewing on the Aeropress, we want about 17-18 grams of coffee. If using the scoop provided with the Aeropress, this would amount about 1 heaping scoop of beans. (Scoops can work well, but weighing is objectively the most accurate method). Step 2. Assemble Aeropress Before [...]
The Chemex creates wonderfully clean flavors utilizing the pourover method. Step 1. Weigh and Grind Weighing your coffee is extremely important! Beans will weigh different depending on size, shape, and roast level. Weighing the beans ensures a consistent brewing experience each time! We recommend grinding 45 grams coffee on a coarse setting. The grinds should resemble sea salt. Step 2. Insert and Rinse Filter Unfold the filter [...]
Step 1. Weigh and Grind Weigh 22 grams of beans and put them into your grinder. The grind size you want to shoot for should be about as fine as table salt. Step 2. Insert and Rinse Filter Unfold the V60 filter and set it inside the dripper. Using hot water right-off the boil, pour through the filter, thoroughly wetting it to remove any paper-like tastes. [...]
1. The Aeropress coffee brewer is the most unique and exciting method of manually brewing coffee The Aeropress blends several methods of coffee-brewing together to create one simple unique experience. Like the French Press, the Aeropress utalizes the full immersion method of brewing. Basically, the coffee grounds are completely immersed in water for several minutes to extract flavor. This being said, the Aeropress not only acts like [...]
