{"title":"May '26","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"lovebuzz","title":"LOVEBUZZ","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWilton Benitez farms in La Macarena, Cauca, one of Colombia's higher-altitude growing regions. Benitez has built a reputation among specialty roasters for his technical precision at the farm level, particularly in how he controls fermentation and drying conditions. His work in Cauca focuses on getting the most out of each lot through careful processing rather than volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBenitez is known for running a tight operation where each step after harvest is treated as seriously as the growing itself. He monitors fermentation times closely and adjusts based on ambient temperature and humidity, which can shift significantly at elevation. That level of control is part of why his coffees tend to attract roasters who source small, specific lots rather than blended regional buys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Traffic Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic Coffee was founded by Greg Lancot and Jessie Lewin in Montréal. Both came from creative backgrounds and wanted to build something that pushed back against coffee being treated as a utility product rather than something worth paying attention to. That thinking shows up in everything from their branding to what ends up in the bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic roasts in small batches and keeps their sourcing focused on two directions: letting a well-grown varietal do its own thing, or working with producers using more experimental processing methods like co-fermentation. They don't try to split the difference between the two. The result is a lineup that covers a lot of ground without feeling scattered. Their packaging, with its bold colour and odd imagery, tends to be the first thing people notice, but the sourcing choices are what keep people coming back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Traffic's breadth of coffee is remarkable - from dark roasts reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen, to wild co-ferments with tasting notes we admittedly have to look up. The packaging and the coffee inside is meant to captivate you, and I hope you feel the same when you try this coffee.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Traffic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44202992828476,"sku":null,"price":23.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/Asset_1_672acc92-a5d8-4aa8-92e7-c423c0a027de.png?v=1776367647"},{"product_id":"solaris","title":"Solaris","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSalomon Estela is a second-generation coffee grower farming in El Pino, Peru at 1,850 to 1,870 meters above sea level. He's also the father of Miguel Estela, another producer in Traffic's network. Salomon's farm draws more visitors than any other in the group, not because of marketing, but because of the man himself: growers, buyers, and coffee people keep coming back to learn from him and share a meal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis focus is on Marshell Naturals, a processing style where the whole coffee cherry is dried with the fruit intact, which draws sugars and fruit flavors into the bean over time. Working at nearly 1,870 meters gives him a longer growing season and slower cherry development, both of which contribute to more concentrated, complex green coffee going into the bag. His motivation, by his own account, is family, and his goal is simple: to see his coffee recognized wherever it ends up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Traffic\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic Coffee was founded by Greg Lancot and Jessie Lewin in Montréal, Canada. Both came from creative backgrounds, and when they started Traffic, their goal was to push back against the idea that coffee is just a caffeine delivery system. They wanted it to feel fun and worth paying attention to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic roasts in small batches and sources with a clear philosophy: either let the variety do the talking on its own, or lean into experimental processing techniques like co-ferments. They don't try to do everything at once. That focus means the coffees they release tend to have a clear point of view, whether you're after something clean and straightforward or something more unusual. Their packaging reflects the same thinking: every bag has its own illustration and color scheme, deliberately unlike anything else on the shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Traffic's breadth of coffee is remarkable - from dark roasts reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen, to wild co-ferments with tasting notes we admittedly have to look up. The packaging and the coffee inside is meant to captivate you, and I hope you feel the same when you try this coffee.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Traffic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44202993549372,"sku":null,"price":23.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/Asset_1_5ad59ccc-baef-4054-a390-ed7350bb0320.png?v=1776367683"},{"product_id":"santa-margarita","title":"Santa Margarita","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinca Santa Margarita has been in the same family since 1838, when Thomas Wyld first established the farm in Acatenango, Chimaltenango. Four generations later, it covers 2,320 hectares, 812 of which are planted with Caturra, Sarchimor, Catimor, and Geisha varieties. The remaining land is left as natural forest, actively managed to support local wildlife and biodiversity. The farm sits at elevation and draws water from three protected on-site springs, which supply both the people living on the property and the wet mill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Santa Margarita is run in large part by Camila Topke, Wyld's great-granddaughter and a coffee trader at InterAmerican Coffee. Women lead key operations across the farm, including the grafting program, the on-site elementary school, and the health clinic, which partners with the Guatemala Department of Health and serves 75 children from Santa Margarita and neighboring farms. Camila is a member of the International Women's Coffee Alliance and previously served as vice president of its Guatemala chapter. She has also been central to shaping the farm's environmental programs. Coffee here is washed and dried on both patios and raised African beds, using an agroforestry approach that keeps agrochemical use low, relies on compost-based soil nutrition, and maintains high shade coverage across the farm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe farm's long-term goals include building an on-site cupping facility and training workers to evaluate quality themselves. That kind of investment in the people doing the work, not just the product coming off the farm, is what makes Santa Margarita worth paying attention to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Traffic Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic Coffee was founded by Greg Lancot and Jessie Lewin in Montréal. The two came at coffee from a creative angle, more interested in making it genuinely fun than in treating it as a commodity. That sensibility shows up immediately in their packaging, where bold colors and illustrations like a laser-eyed dinosaur or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich make each bag hard to miss on a shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBehind the visuals, Traffic keeps things small and deliberate. They source green coffee with an eye toward quality and roast in small batches, which they say helps them build real relationships with the farmers they buy from. Their sourcing approach goes both directions: some coffees are roasted to let a specific variety speak for itself, while others lean into experimental processing. That range means there's usually something on their roster for people who want a straightforward cup and for people who want something weirder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Traffic's breadth of coffee is remarkable - from dark roasts reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen, to wild co-ferments with tasting notes we admittedly have to look up. The packaging and the coffee inside is meant to captivate you, and I hope you feel the same when you try this coffee.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Traffic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44202994794556,"sku":null,"price":21.5,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/Asset_1_c5c3f5df-d34a-414a-a14d-04254e05e3e5.png?v=1776367725"},{"product_id":"minute-papillon-decaf","title":"Minute Papillon Decaf","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrupo San Augustin Los Cauchos is a producer group based in Cauca, Colombia, in the same mountainous region where the Magdalena River begins. The area sits near the archaeological park El Alto de Los Idolos, built around burial sites left behind by a pre-Columbian civilization that disappeared around 1,000 B.C. long before Spanish colonizers arrived. The farmers here initially came together to share knowledge and make it easier to sell their coffees collectively, and quality has been the group's focus ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe group grows Caturra and Typica varieties and processes this coffee as a washed, oxygen sugarcane decaf. Sugarcane decaffeination (also called ethyl acetate decaf) uses a compound derived from fermented sugarcane to remove caffeine without stripping the coffee of its character. Importantly, this decaffeination happens at origin in Colombia, which keeps the coffee fresher and cuts down on the carbon footprint that comes with shipping green coffee halfway around the world just to process it. The group has also been actively working to standardize their farming practices, upgrade their drying infrastructure, and raise the overall consistency of what they produce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic sources this coffee with a clear set of criteria for decaf: the green coffee has to be worth buying in the first place, the decaffeination has to happen at origin, and the finished cup has to outperform every other decaf they have tried. This is the highest price Traffic has ever paid for a decaf. They hold it because it delivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Traffic\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic Coffee was founded by Greg Lancot and Jessie Lewin in Montreal, Quebec. Both had always gravitated toward creative work, and when they moved into coffee roasting they brought that same approach with them. They wanted to push back against the idea that coffee is just a caffeine delivery system and show that it could also be fun and worth paying attention to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTraffic roasts in small batches, which lets them stay close to the farmers they buy from and maintain consistent quality across their lineup. Their sourcing philosophy has two lanes: either they let the varietal do the talking, or they lean into more experimental processing methods. The result is a range that covers a lot of ground, from clean and straightforward to funky and fermented. The Minute Papillon sits in its own category entirely, a decaf built to the same standard as everything else in their catalog.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Traffic's breadth of coffee is remarkable - from dark roasts reminiscent of your grandmother's kitchen, to wild co-ferments with tasting notes we admittedly have to look up. The packaging and the coffee inside is meant to captivate you, and I hope you feel the same when you try this coffee.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Traffic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44202996039740,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/Asset_1_32c342d7-fa9d-4006-8960-79f01ad845d3.png?v=1776367762"},{"product_id":"colombia-decaf-medium-roast","title":"Colombia Decaf – Medium Roast","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis decaf is sourced through Royal Coffee, a green coffee importer that selects Colombian lots based on cup profile, physical preparation, and how well each coffee will hold up through the decaffeination process. Not all green coffee responds the same way, so the selection step matters more here than it does for most coffees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe caffeine is removed using the Swiss Water Process, a chemical-free method developed in British Columbia. The green beans are first hydrated to open them up, then introduced to Green Coffee Extract (GCE), a water-based solution saturated with coffee's soluble compounds. Because the GCE is already carrying those flavor compounds, only the caffeine moves out of the bean through osmosis, leaving the rest of the flavor profile largely intact. The GCE is then filtered through carbon to remove the caffeine and reused in the next batch. The result is coffee that's 99.9% caffeine-free without relying on chemical solvents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route roasts this one to a medium profile, which suits the process well. Swiss Water decafs can come out flat if pushed too light or turn bitter if taken too dark. Medium keeps things balanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Alternate Route\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl in Alberta as a way to do things differently from the beginning. What started as a shared idea between a husband and wife grew into a roastery based just outside Edmonton, near the Edmonton International Airport. Today, the company is women-run, women-roasted, and majority women-owned, led by Kellie Wahl and Head Roaster Corie Sackville. That shift happened gradually through hiring based on trust and shared values, not as a positioning strategy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey roast on a Probat P12, a German-made drum roaster known for consistency and even heat transfer. Small-batch roasting on a P12 gives the roasters real control over each profile, which matters especially for something like decaf, where the green coffee has already been through a significant process before it hits the drum. Their roastery also includes a tasting room where they run small coffee events, which keeps them close to how people are actually drinking what they roast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Alternate Route is the first women-owned and operated roaster we've featured, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alternate Route","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44203651792956,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"narino","title":"Nariño","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuellas de Encanto is a group of 30 women producers farming in four municipalities across Nariño, Colombia: La Unión, Cartago, Génova, and San Lorenzo. Each producer works a small plot of just a few acres. They organized through the Association of Ecoterra specifically to access international markets, which individual smallholders can't easily do on their own. Each community has its own leader, and together they produce a traceable community blend that carries a distinct regional character from the Nariño highlands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe processing is careful and consistent across all 30 farms. During harvest, cherries are hand-picked at peak ripeness, then sorted and floated to remove damaged or underdeveloped beans before depulping. Fermentation happens in sealed containers for up to 72 hours, which creates a controlled environment and slows the process down compared to open-air fermentation. After fermentation, the parchment-covered seeds are washed and dried slowly on patios or raised beds to around 11% moisture. An export company called Mastercol handles warehousing and milling for export, which reduces logistical barriers and lets more of the revenue flow back to the producers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNariño sits in Colombia's southwest, bordering Ecuador, and produces coffee at elevations that slow cherry development and concentrate flavor. The fact that this lot is traceable to a specific group of named producers in specific municipalities is meaningful: it gives the women more leverage to reinvest in their farms and build more stable incomes over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Alternate Route\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl, a husband-and-wife team based in Alberta. They built the company from the ground up, starting with a roastery on wheels before eventually setting up a permanent space near the Edmonton International Airport. The operation has since grown to include a small coffee bar, retail space, and a tasting room used for brewing and cupping events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe roastery today is women-run, women-roasted, and majority women-owned. Kellie Wahl leads the business alongside Head Roaster Corie Sackville. They roast on a Probat P12, a German-made drum roaster known for consistency, and work in small batches to keep a close eye on each lot. Their sourcing focuses on specific growing regions, and they prioritize relationships with producers who maintain quality standards at the farm level.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Alternate Route is the first women-owned and operated roaster we've featured, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alternate Route","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44203657461820,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/image0-8.jpg?v=1776709662"},{"product_id":"florescencia-1","title":"Florescencia (Huila)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFlorescencia is a group of 40 women producers working within the Association of Ecoterra in Huila, Colombia. They cultivate coffee across four municipalities: Pitalito, San Agustin, Oporapa, and Saladoblanco, each on small individual farms of just a few acres. The association itself consists of between 100 and 145 smallholder families who hold organic certification and farm at elevations up to 2,200 meters. Organizing collectively was a practical necessity. Individually, these farms are too small to access international markets. Together, they can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe group operates with community leaders in each area who help coordinate across the network and maintain a traceable community blend with a consistent regional profile. During harvest, producers follow a strict picking protocol: cherries are selected at peak ripeness, hand sorted, and floated to remove damaged or underdeveloped beans. From there, coffee is depulped and fermented for up to 70 hours before the parchment-covered seed is washed and moved to patios or raised beds to dry slowly down to 11% moisture. An export company called Mastercol handles warehousing and milling, providing the logistical infrastructure these producers need to get their coffee to buyers outside Colombia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe association's broader goal is to improve income and living conditions for its members through organic production and expanding access to specialty markets. They grow Caturra, Colombia, and Castillo varieties, and their focus on diversifying processing techniques is part of a longer strategy to strengthen quality and build a more stable business for the families involved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Alternate Route\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl as a husband-and-wife project based in Alberta, Canada, operating out of a roastery on wheels before finding a permanent home just outside Edmonton near the International Airport. What started as a shared idea grew into a full roasting operation with a tasting lab, coffee bar, and retail space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday the company is women-run, women-roasted, and majority women-owned. Kellie Wahl leads the business alongside Head Roaster Corie Sackville. They roast in small batches on a Probat P12 roaster, a German-built drum roaster known for consistency and control. Their sourcing spans Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia, with a focus on producers who share their standards around quality and integrity. Florescencia is a natural fit for a roaster where women leading the operation is the norm, not the exception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Alternate Route is the first women-owned and operated roaster we've featured, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alternate Route","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44206586986556,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/image0-9.jpg?v=1776708404"},{"product_id":"farm-fatima-1","title":"Gossip Girl","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNelsyn Hernandez owns and operates several farms in Costa Rica through her company Cafe Fatima. Farm Fatima, where this lot comes from, sits on 37 acres in Tarrazú de León Cortez, one of Costa Rica's most recognized coffee-growing regions. Hernandez has built Cafe Fatima around mastering different processing techniques, and this honey processed lot is a direct result of that focus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoney processing means the outer skin of the coffee cherry is removed, but the sticky layer underneath, called mucilage, is left on the seed while it dries. This eliminates the water-intensive washing step used in traditional processing, which reduces the environmental footprint of each batch. At Farm Fatima, cherries are first sorted and floated to remove any damaged fruit before pulping. The beans then move to drying patios, where they stay just long enough to shed excess moisture before being mechanically dried down to a precise 11 percent moisture content. That level of control during drying is what separates a well-executed honey process from a sloppy one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCosta Rica has invested heavily in micro-mill infrastructure over the past two decades, which is part of why producers like Hernandez are able to run processing operations at this level of precision on a single farm. The country's strict regulations around coffee quality and processing have pushed smallholder producers to develop technical skills that are less common in other origins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Alternate Route Coffee\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route Coffee Co. was started by Ian and Kellie Wahl in Alberta, Canada. The two built the business from the ground up, starting with what they describe as a roastery on wheels before establishing a permanent roastery and tasting lab just outside Edmonton, near the international airport. Today, the operation is led by Kellie Wahl and Head Roaster Corie Sackville, and the team is majority women-owned and women-run.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternate Route roasts on a Probat P12, a small-batch drum roaster that gives them direct control over each roast. Their facility includes a coffee bar and a dedicated tasting room where they run brewing and tasting events, which reflects how hands-on they are with the education side of the business. Their sourcing focuses on building direct relationships with producers, and this lot from Nelsyn Hernandez at Farm Fatima is a good example of the kind of single-producer, traceable coffee they prioritize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Alternate Route is the first women-owned and operated roaster we've featured, and this month I'm proud to announce every Alternate Route coffee we're featuring is sourced from women coffee producers. I'm particularly excited to share their coffee from Huila, Colombia with you - this is one of my favourite balanced coffees this year.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Dean, Director of Coffee\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alternate Route","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44206588166204,"sku":null,"price":24.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0677\/2880\/1852\/files\/Costa_Rica_Honey_GossipGirl.jpg?v=1776708198"}],"url":"https:\/\/stillwatercoffee.ca\/collections\/may-26.oembed","provider":"Stillwater Coffee Club","version":"1.0","type":"link"}