First Tracks Blend

About the Coffee

This coffee comes from farms in Mogiana, a growing region that straddles the border between São Paulo and Minas Gerais in Brazil. Unlike the large, fully mechanized estates common across Brazil, Mogiana's rolling hills and uneven terrain make it better suited to small and medium-sized farms. The farms in this lot average around 60 acres. The coffee is a yellow bourbon and mundo novo hybrid, two varietals that have been grown in Brazil for generations.

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, and most of its output is graded on a cup quality scale. This lot is rated Fine Cup (FC), the top tier in the Brazilian grading system. The coffee is processed naturally, meaning the whole cherry is dried with the fruit still intact before the seed is removed. Alternate Route takes this lot a step further: they roast the same single-origin coffee two different ways, then blend the two roasts together in the bag.

The result is a single-origin coffee that behaves like a blend, balancing body and brightness in a way that a single roast profile wouldn't achieve on its own. For anyone who wants a straightforward, low-fuss coffee that works well across different brew methods, this one is built for that.

About Alternate Route

Alternate Route Coffee Co. was started by husband-and-wife Ian and Kellie Wahl in Alberta, Canada. The roastery is based 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 run.

They roast in small batches on a Probat P12 roaster, a German-made drum roaster known for consistency and even heat distribution. Their sourcing focuses on producers they consider to share their standards for quality, with relationships that go back to the farm level.

"Alternate Route is our first women-owned and operated roaster, 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."

- Dean, Director of Coffee