We offer over 60 single origin and blended coffees sourced from the three major growing regions. Coffees from the Americas tend to be balanced and sweet, while those grown in the Indonesian archipelago feature a heavy, syrupy body. Beans sourced from Africa (the birthplace of coffee) and the Arabian Peninsula form a wildly complex group. We blend coffees from these areas to produce flavors unattainable with straight single origins and also offer a wide range of decaffeinated coffees.
As a specialty roaster, we work hard at securing high-quality coffees from 18 different origins around the world, some of which are Fair Trade Certified, certified organic and/or shade-grown. Over the years we have developed long-term relationships with a number of these producers - both estates and cooperatives - and are proud of the work we are doing in the areas of quality control and human development.
Africa
A small yet extremely diverse group, Alterra's African coffees represent some of our most exotic offerings. From Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, we feature two unique coffees from the Harar and Yirgacheffe regions. Just to the south, the rich, volcanic soil around Mount Kenya nourishes some of the most intense, intoxicating, and flavorful coffee in the world, with neighboring Rwanda rounding out our list of East Africans.
| Our African coffees: |
|---|
| Ethiopia Harar | Ethiopia Yirgacheffe |
| Kenya AA | |
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Coffee traces its origins to Ethiopia, where a legendary goat herder followed the lead of his unusually energetic flock and nibbled on the ripe fruits of a wild bush. Coffee is still revered in this East African country, and the Ethiopian coffee ceremony remains a cultural institution. Resembling the Japanese tea ceremony, it can take several hours to complete and is performed only by women, who roast the beans over an open fire, grind them by hand, and brew the coffee with spices in a special clay pot. Guests are served the coffee in small porcelain cups, accompanied by traditional snacks of popcorn and a mix of roasted barley and peanuts. Though very few coffee-producing countries have integrated coffee into their respective cultures, Ethiopians keep their centuries-old tradition alive through this fascinating ritual.
Americas
The vast mountain ranges of Central and South America, from Mexico's Sierra Madre to the Peruvian Andes are host to all but two of the coffees in this group. These coffees are all processed using the washed method, a process that emphasizes clarity and brightness in the cup. These coffees, which tend to be balanced and sweet, feature flavor characteristics ranging from vanilla, honey and citrus to subtle nutty and chocolaty notes. This group also includes the world's number one producer, Brazil, where the majority of the coffee is grown on the flatter terrain of the Central Plateau and processed using the dry method.
| Our American coffees: |
|---|
| Brazil Fazenda Santo Antonio Bourbon Natural | Brazil Fazenda São Domingos |
| Colombia El Castillo | Costa Rica Campeon del Valle |
| Decaf Colombia El Castillo | Decaf Mexico Kulaktik (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Guatemala Pampojila | Half-Caff Mexico Kulaktik (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Mexico Kulaktik - Fair Trade/Organic | Nicaragua Don Zeledon - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Peru Chirinos - Fair Trade/Organic | |
Kulaktik
We at Alterra take pride not only in sourcing great coffees but also in cultivating and maintaining relationships with the growers of those coffees. This commitment is exemplified by our partnership with the Kulaktik cooperative in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Amidst the tension following a well-publicized peasant rebellion, we became connected to a group of coffee growers through Sts. Peter & Paul Congregation in Milwaukee. This special relationship allows us to directly purchase coffee from the cooperative without going through intermediaries, thereby guaranteeing that the growers receive a much higher price for their product. In addition, we give $.25 from every pound we sell back to the cooperative, which it uses for infrastructure developments.
Asia/Pacific
Alterra sources coffee from four islands in the Indonesian archipelago: Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, and the newly independent country of East Timor. Heavy, syrupy, full body is the delicious thread that ties these coffees together. They all have unique characteristics, great complexity and are actually quite different from one another, exhibiting a wide spectrum of tastes from sweet bread and molasses to deep-toned earthy, spicy notes. In the end, however, it's the smooth mouth feel that you'll remember. To the east of the archipelago is Papua New Guinea whose well-balanced coffees featuring sweet acidity, firm body and lush flavor set this origin apart.
| Our Asia/Pacific coffees: |
|---|
| Dark Sumatra Gayoland - Fair Trade/Organic | Decaf Sumatra |
| Decaf Sumatra (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic | East Timor Maubisse - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Papua New Guinea Kimel Plantation | Sulawesi Toraja |
| Sumatra Gayoland - Fair Trade/Organic | Sumatra Mandheling Takengon |
Blends
Can the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? Blending different coffees together allows us to fine tune our coffee experience based on our personal tastes. The right blend of coffees can produce flavors that are unattainable with single origin coffees. Take a peek at our blends and find something that matches your preferences. It might be exactly what you've been looking for!
| Our blended coffees: |
|---|
| Alterra's Favorite - Fair Trade/Organic | Alterra's Favorite |
| Black and Tan - Fair Trade/Organic | Blue Heeler - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Breakfast Blend - Fair Trade/Organic | Breakfast Blend |
| Cafe Voltaire | Campesino Blend - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Decaf Breakfast Blend | Decaf Dream Harder |
| Decaf Espresso Toro | Decaf French Roast |
| Delta Mud | Espresso Toro |
| French Roast - Fair Trade/Organic | George's Burly Blend |
| Peacemaker Espresso - Fair Trade/Organic | Punch in the Face |
| Traditional Mocha Java | |
Decaf
Decaffeinated coffee drinkers have a bad reputation in the coffee world and are often on the receiving end of comments like "If you're going to drink decaf, why bother drinking coffee at all!" But the desire to seek out great coffee even when you don't want or cannot have caffeine is a sign of a true coffee lover. We take our decafs seriously for this very reason. With a wide range of flavor profiles and processing methods to choose from, we think you'll find coffee on this list that will please your palate. Who knows, you may even be able to pass it off as "the good stuff."
| Our decaffeinated coffees: |
|---|
| Decaf Breakfast Blend | Decaf Colombia El Castillo |
| Decaf Dream Harder | Decaf Espresso Toro |
| Decaf French Roast | Decaf Mexico Kulaktik (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Decaf Sumatra | Decaf Sumatra (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic |
Fair Trade
Designed to help small-scale farmers in developing countries earn more money for their products, Fair Trade has rapidly evolved into a global consumer-based movement. Members of Fair Trade Certified cooperatives not only are eligible to receive a guaranteed minimum price but also can bypass the intermediaries (coyotes in Latin America) who traditionally have taken advantage of them. Alterra became a licensed roaster in 2002 and continues to work closely with TransFair USA, the only independent, third-party certifying and monitoring agency for Fair Trade in the U.S. Our involvement dates back to 1998, however, when we initiated a long-term relationship with the Kulaktik cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico, under Fair Trade terms.
Organic
What seems like a relatively new food trend dates actually back thousands of years. Although humans have practiced organic farming ever since evolving from hunters and gatherers, technological advances over the past 50 years have erased much of our agrarian knowledge. Coffee producers around the world, particularly small-scale ones, are helping to promote organic agriculture, however, either by preserving ancient traditions or by converting from conventional growing methods (i.e., eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.). To be able to sell their coffees in the U.S. as "organic," these farmers must be inspected and certified by an independent organization accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As processor of organic foods, Alterra also is certified by a USDA-accredited agency.
| Our Fair Trade/Organic coffees: |
|---|
| Alterra's Favorite - Fair Trade/Organic | Black and Tan - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Blue Heeler - Fair Trade/Organic | Breakfast Blend - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Campesino Blend - Fair Trade/Organic | Dark Sumatra Gayoland - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Decaf Mexico Kulaktik (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic | Decaf Sumatra (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic |
| East Timor Maubisse - Fair Trade/Organic | French Roast - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Half-Caff Mexico Kulaktik (Water Process) - Fair Trade/Organic | Mexico Kulaktik - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Nicaragua Don Zeledon - Fair Trade/Organic | Peacemaker Espresso - Fair Trade/Organic |
| Peru Chirinos - Fair Trade/Organic | Sumatra Gayoland - Fair Trade/Organic |
