Intelligentsia Coffee:

Intelligentsia Coffee’s buying philosophy is not very complicated. They believe in coffee quality and have made a commitment to their customers to offer only truly dazzling Specialty Coffees that speak for themselves in the cup. They believe that to get such coffees they need to work closely with actual producers, not just importers or exporters, so that they can build great coffees from the very start.

Almost all coffee roasters claim that they "work with farmers" but few can back the promise. Intelligentsia travels to their coffee’s source each of the 12 months of the year. They visit farms, roll up their sleeves, and get to it. They take 24-hour redeye flights and 10-hour, high-altitude pick-up rides over serpentine roads. They pick up their coffee and they shake the hand of a farmer in Peru. Or Rwanda. Or Guatemala. And when you see the Intelligentsia Direct Trade logo on our bag, you know how much effort is invested in each bean.

In the broadest terms, these coffees should be understood as a true collaboration, with both sides investing a great deal of time, energy and ideas to produce something great. At the end of this process, the coffee farmer who grows an award-winning cup is an artisan, and should be regarded as such. They believe human effort is the most critical factor in quality coffee and that the growers who do the best work should get the best price and individual recognition.