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Notes Between Cuppings Entry 1

Co-fermented coffee is a new processing approach where producers add natural ingredients like fruit, hops, or spices during fermentation to enhance flavor complexity. Unlike flavored coffee, these additives interact with the beans before drying, creating unique taste profiles while sparking debate over labeling, transparency, and authenticity within the specialty coffee industry.

What We Accomplished in 2025 and the Work Ahead
Community > Chaos  2025 delivered volatility across both the global economy and the entire coffee supply chain. Yet one thing never shifted: the strength of our community and the collective impact we can make when we act together. As we look back, we’re grateful...
Hey Mambo! Assume Nothing Drink Recipe
By Asha Wells "Assume Nothing!" A mantra for The Crown as we worked towards opening our doors in March of 2019, the phrase became a Menu section, encouraging our visitors to drop their preconceptions and be open to new and delicious experiences. And now it's the title...
Royal Coffee’s Top 5 Crown Jewels of 2025

With more than two dozen Crown Jewels released in 2025, narrowing down a “top five” was impossible, so we didn’t. Instead, we ranked this year’s standouts by cup score, rarity, volume, processing innovation, and legacy relationships. The result is a snapshot of the coffees that defined our year and the producers behind them.

Crown Jewel Spring & Summer Lineup

Crown Jewel Spring & Summer Lineup

Crown Jewel Spring & Summer Lineup 2025 “Never a dull moment” feels like this year’s motto. If the first quarter of the calendar has felt unprecedented, I can only hope we’ve sourced enough coffee to stay energized for whatever comes next! Fortunately, I think the answer is a resounding yes. ...

Understanding the Impact of New Tariffs on Coffee Imports

Understanding the Impact of New Tariffs on Coffee Imports

Editor's Note: The White House is clarifying that Trump’s announcement of a 90-day tariff “pause” means that the “tariff level will be brought down to a universal 10% tariff” during that time, while “negotiations are ongoing.” Article Summary: Max Nicholas-Fulmer breaks down the new U.S. import...

Costa Rica Finca La Amistad – Old School Organic

Costa Rica Finca La Amistad – Old School Organic

Article Summary: Royal Coffee celebrates 30 years importing from Finca La Amistad, Costa Rica’s pioneering organic, shade-grown farm run by Roberto Montero near the Panama border. Fully powered by hydroelectric energy and built on closed-loop composting, the 250-hectare farm is the only Bird...

How to Get Your Coffee into Coffee Wholesale Distribution

How to Get Your Coffee into Coffee Wholesale Distribution

Article Summary: 1. Understand Client Segments Wholesale includes cafés, grocery, e-commerce, and hospitality—each has unique needs. Café clients need hands-on support, consistency, and training; grocery buyers focus on numbers and velocity. 2. Build and Maintain Strong Client Relationships Be...

International Women’s Day #shesthebuyer

International Women’s Day #shesthebuyer

Celebrating International Women’s Day #shesthebuyer This International Women’s Day, we’re shining a light on the incredible women who help connect exceptional coffees with roasters around the world. From navigating wild harvest seasons to forming deep connections with producers, each of these...

The Importance of Coffee Packaging

The Importance of Coffee Packaging

Article Summary: Effective coffee packaging balances freshness, durability, sustainability, and presentation. By tailoring your packaging design and materials to your product type and distribution needs, you can protect quality, appeal to your target audience, and strengthen your brand’s...

Incoming Crown Jewels

Incoming Crown Jewels

Crown Jewel buyers! What a thrilling time to be paying above-market prices for coffee! In all seriousness, the longevity of relationships and extraordinary quality of our Crown Jewel offerings have long been a point of pride which we have no plans to abandon, regardless of what futures traders...

The Rise of Specialty Coffee

The Rise of Specialty Coffee

The Rise of Specialty Coffee The Origin of Specialty Coffee  The phrase “specialty coffee” is usually attributed to the progressive and outspoken coffee importer Erna Knutsen, in a 1973 interview published in the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal. Her evolution in the coffee industry is intricately...

Espresso Takes Over – A Brief History

Espresso Takes Over – A Brief History

Espresso Takes Over - A Brief History Espresso has long been the cornerstone of the coffee industry. But how did it begin?   In the late 1800’s the world saw a swarm of innovations around brewing coffee. With the creation of steam power, the first espresso machine was introduced at the 1906...

CozyTown Assume Nothing Drink Recipe

CozyTown Assume Nothing Drink Recipe

By Meri Jane  "Assume Nothing!" A mantra for The Crown as we worked towards opening our doors in March of 2019, the phrase became a Menu section, encouraging our visitors to drop their preconceptions and be open to new and delicious experiences. And now it's the title of a drink recipe series, for...

2024 Crown Jewel Year in Review

2024 Crown Jewel Year in Review

Crown Jewel Year in Review 2024 has been a complicated year by many metrics, but in spite of challenges from logistics to market swings and more, we are thrilled and grateful for the continued success of our Crown Jewel program. These little boxes of coffee have seen an explosion in potential this...

Crown Jewels – What’s Next

Crown Jewels – What’s Next

With daylight savings time upon us, and early evenings the harbingers of brisk fall mornings, we've begun to look to the southern hemisphere for incoming coffees in the coming weeks and months. Here's what's on our radar in the near-to-medium term: Colombia Alquemista Coferments Release schedule:...