The Colombian Drip Project
The sun was barely creeping above the horizon. We quietly filed into our Renault, prepared for the day’s objective. Scott’s Whatsapp lit up the front area of the car, as his contact provided him with the coordinates of the pickup. As we left the security of Guatape, Colombia’s rural landscape unfolded before us - the towering Andes mountains opening up like the cacophany of alien birds on both sides of the sinuous road.
Leaving the residence in Guatape for the pickup.
We were to look for a small, unassuming “kiosko” on the side of the road to San Rafael. Our contact name was Wendy. She sold chorizo.
As the sky brightened, we saw the location on the right side of the road - a blue tarp and ancient corrugate served as the roof. Scott nervously exited the car, approaching a table of locals. His wad of pesos tightly rolled up in his sweaty hands.
“Wendy?” He asked.
“Si” she responded quietly from the back of the table. They had already made the nervous gringo for their mark.
She pulled out two tightly packed satchels, wrapped in used animal food bags, and set them at Scott’s feet.
“250,000 pesos, por favor” Wendy stated with an outstretched hand.
The winding, twisty road to San Rafael
Scott counted out the cincuenta mil peso bills, and handed them to Wendy. Two men stood from the table, each grabbing a satchel. Their weathered hands wrapping firmly around the neck of each bag. They escorted Scott to the Renault on the side of the road, flashers on. Slight scowls, slight smiles.
Each loaded one of the heavy bags into the hatch of the car.
“Gracias, amigos",” Scott offered.
“Hasta.” One man replied.
Back in the car, flashers were off, and Scott piloted back to Guatape, their cargo now secured. Back in Guatape, this cargo will be sealed and prepared for being loaded into an aircraft bound for Miami, and then Oneida, Tennessee.
Back in Oneida, Scott will weigh, and roast this amazing coffee from the heart of the Cirpes valley. A family the McNamara’s befriended on and earlier visit to their finca, they knew them as a reliable source of good, local, real Colombian coffee.
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Well, this coffee is now available on drip in ALL Gather locations! We know sometimes drip coffee gets a bit of a bad rap, so we wanted to provide something special. It’s only available until we are out, so be sure to give it a try. As you drink it, imagine the journey this coffee has been as it traveled by mule out of the Cirpes valley, then into our rental, then to Miami, then roasted in Oneida! Then to Sour Lake, Harriman, or any of our other locations and into your cup!
It doesn’t get any more “Finca to Cup” than this!
Preparing the satchels at the airport in Medellin.