We’ve selected yet another roaster from Michigan. Stone Creek Coffee has been roasting since 1993, and employs what they like to call a team of “coffee geeks” as they journey through coffee. This month, we’re excited to join them!

Stone Creek is “committed to building lasting relationships with our producer-partners around the world. We summarize this ambition with our shorthand: ‘Farm to Cup'” – or as Brothers Coffee often calls it, direct trade. This type of coffee-importing is a win-win-win situation, for the farmers, the roaster, and the consumers. We can ensure farmers are getting paid a fair price, it allows the roasters to work with the coffee farmers to perfect their coffee-growing, and the consumer gets a better cup of coffee – as well as a clean conscience. Keep reading

Pablo’s Coffee from Denver, Colorado doesn’t corner themselves into just one import method – only cooperatives, only direct trade, or only fair-trade certified. Rather, they explore their options, searching to find the absolute best choices, both in terms of quality of coffee and when ensuring the ethical sourcing of the coffee. They consistently pay 50-100% more than Fair Trade prices, as we expect of our selected roasters. Due to the nature of Pablo’s sourcing, not only can you be confident their team has spent hours ensuring you are getting the absolutely highest quality product, but that there is a story behind each; stories we are excited to tell! Keep reading

Bongo Java checks all the boxes to participate in Brothers Coffee’s subscription service. A founding member of Cooperative Coffees, their mission statement is to “strengthen communities by expanding the definition of quality to include concerns about how our stuff is produced, purchased and promoted.” Keep reading

The conversations with our friends at Amavida Coffee generally revolve around the slew of projects they are involved in that improve the livelihood of their farmers, aid their local community, and their guiding principals. But every step of the way, their emphasis on their quality of coffee finds it’s way into the dialogue. It’s this dual emphasis, both on providing customers with the best coffee they’ve ever had while helping others, that has convinced us to select Amavida as our roaster of the month this June. Keep reading

When we founded Brothers Coffee, one of our goals was to become large enough to help support very small roasters that have great values and ideas and give them the momentum they need to thrive in a competitive market. Theodore’s Coffee Roasters from Owossa, MI is one of these roasters, and we’re very excited to help them this month!

All of Theodore’s coffee is sourced through direct trade, a result of Theodore’s founder Darwin Pavon’s relationship with farmers throughout Central America and, more recently, Africa. Direct trade relationships can be difficult to form, even for large roasters, but Darwin’s unique experiences growing up in Honduras and work all around the world has put him in a position to immediately cut out the middle-men and work with his coffee-growing friends from Honduras, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala and more. Keep reading

When we’re looking for roasters, we search for those that have found new and unique ways of making the world a better place. When they use a new and unique roasting method to bring out the best flavors in their coffee, it’s a bonus. The Roastarie, our April roaster, has perfected and popularized air-roasting coffee.

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The quality of Kickapoo’s coffee is such that we are confident our subscribers will enjoy any of their coffees, no matter which ones we choose. We had a lot of fun picking out a variety that would be perfect for any kitchen or office!

Read more about Kickapoo Coffee Roasters here.

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When good systems aren’t already in place, it’s your job to create them yourself. That’s what we believe at Brothers Coffee, and that’s a mission that has driven Kickapoo Coffee to create systems that help others. Like Larry’s Coffee, they are co-owners of Co-op Coffee, a coop co-owned by roasters all across the US that want to create direct trade relationships. In addition, the Fair Trade organization’s pricing charts haven’t been updated in years, so Kickapoo coffee is overhauling their entire system and creating new minimum prices that guarantee coffee farmers have enough to live on and a little more. In many cases, Kickapoo’s prices will be more than double Fair Trade prices. Keep reading

Brothers Coffee has selected Larry’s Coffee for our February roaster because they are the whole package. From their process of importing coffee, to their office, packaging, and even transportation, they are obsessed with finding new and innovative ways to improve systems and help others.

In addition, Larry’s passion has always been about discovering new and unique coffees to roast and blend. To him and his team, it’s not just about great coffee, but about unique coffee. It’s this mission that has set them up to become the company they are today, using the art of coffee as a platform to invest in others.

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