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Origin Guide, Central America

Guatemala

The history of coffee in Guatemala is very similar to its Central American neighbour, El Salvador, in the sense that it was thought to have been found growing there in around 1750 but did not take off commercially until one hundred years later following the decline of the indigo industry due to the introduction of chemical dyes. It was at this time that the value of the coffee industry was realised and, in 1868, the government distributed one million seeds across the country and set up an organisation to promote coffee and educate growers. Coffee became the country’s main export which, unfortunately, resulted in the loss of land for many indigenous farmers and contributed towards the vast distribution of wealth in Guatemala.

These political issues continued to dominate throughout the 20th century and culminated in civil war from 1960 to 1996. During this time, many farmers abandoned their land due to the conflict and Guatemala’s coffee production dipped. However, at the turn of the millennium, coffee production peaked just as the world coffee crisis (a 6 year period of severe market lows) hit forcing many producers to dig up their coffee trees and farm alternative crops such as nuts and avocados.

Nowadays, thanks to the industry body Anacafe which has worked to actively promote the many regional differences in Guatemalan coffee, the country has a reputation for quality and supports a number of projects which aim to create a more sustainable industry. The key growing regions are: San Marcos (West), Acatenango (South-West), Atitlán (Central), Cobán (North), Nuevo Oriente (East), Huehuetenango (North West), Fraijanes (South East) and Antigua (South). Varietals grown are mainly Bourbon, Caturra and Catuai with the occasional Typica and Marogogype. We generally look to the areas of Huehuetenango and Antigua for our Guatemalan coffees as it is these regions which contribute some of the most successful coffees in the Cup of Excellence programmes.

We have worked with the Vides family who own Finca La Bolsa in Huehuetenango since 2015 and have prized their approach to looking after their farmworkers and land farming with high levels of social and environmental responsibility.

Zoom Guatemala Finca La Bolsa Washed
Zoom Guatemala Finca La Bolsa Washed
Zoom Guatemala Finca La Bolsa Washed
Size
Grind Size

This juicy washed lot from La Bolsa is about as sweet as they come! Beautifully well balanced, it’s such a versatile brew that is suited to both espresso and filter. 

Expect : Green Apple, Raspberry, Maple Syrup
Enjoy : With or without milk
Process : Washed

Location: La Libertad, Huehuetenango, Western Highlands
Altitude: 1,300 to 1,600 metres above sea level
Preparation: Washed
Varietal: Bourbon, Caturra
Owners: Renardo Ovalle
Suited for : Aeropress, Chemex, Espresso, French Press, Pour Over
Enjoy : With or Without Milk

Grind Setting: Medium (slighter finer than for a Pour Over)
Brew Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds - 3 minutes
Coffee:Water 16-17g : 250ml

Chemex
Grind Setting: Coarse
Brew Time: 5 minutes
Coffee:Water 65-70g : 1L

Espresso
Grind Setting: Very Fine
Brew Time: 27-29 seconds
Dose:Brewed Weight 18g : 36-40g

French Press
Grind Setting: Coarse
Brew Time: 3 minutes
Coffee:Water 14g : 250ml

Pour Over
Grind Setting: Medium
Brew Time: 1 minute 30 seconds - 2 minutes
Coffee:Water 16g : 250ml

Brew Guides

Learn more about our supplier partnerships.

We work with a number of impact driven companies who support us in building an offering designed to not only offer an amazing cup of coffee but one that contributes solutions to some of the major issues facing our industry.

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