Ethiopia highlands
Coffee from the ground it came from.
Grown in the Ethiopian highlands, picked by hand at full ripeness, roasted in small batches and shipped within 48 hours of the roast.
Checking the listSingle origin · Roasted to order · Shipped within 48 hours of the roast
Hands holding ripe red cherries on the branch, morning light, no styling
photo slot · home-heroThe coffee journey
From the plant to your cup.
- Reserved for origin photo
Hand picking red cherry on the branch, basket in frame
photo slot · home-journey-pick01 / 07
Hand picked at full ripeness
- Reserved for origin photo
Pulping station, skins separating from the beans
photo slot · home-journey-pulp02 / 07
Pulped and fermented
- Reserved for origin photo
Raised drying beds, parchment coffee turned by hand
photo slot · home-journey-dry03 / 07
Dried on raised beds
- Reserved for origin photo
Hulling and hand sorting green beans on a table
photo slot · home-journey-hull04 / 07
Hulled and sorted
- Reserved for origin photo
Small batch roaster mid roast, beans in the drum
photo slot · home-journey-roast05 / 07
Roasted to order
- Reserved for origin photo
Sealed bag with roast date label and one way valve
photo slot · home-journey-ship06 / 07
Shipped within 48 hours of the roast
- Reserved for origin photo
A filled cup on a kitchen table, morning light
photo slot · home-journey-brew07 / 07
Ground and brewed
Our story
We learned coffee on the ground.
We grew up where the plant grows. We watched the cherry redden. We worked the harvest, the drying beds, and the hulling.
Read our storyThe product is not a bag of beans. It is that morning, packed and shipped.
Green beans roasting in a pan over coals, hands turning them, interior light
photo slot · home-story-roastingCoffee trees under native shade canopy, dappled light through the leaves
photo slot · home-story-groveHow it is grown
A practice we can point to.
Grown without synthetic inputs, certification in progress. Everything we say about the growing is a practice we can point to, not a claim about a label. One lot goes in the bag, never cut with cheaper coffee.
See how it is grownRoast levels
One lot, four ways to roast it.
The same single lot, taken to four different roast levels. Open one for the body, acidity, and how it is best brewed.
- Body
- Not applicable
- Acidity
- Not applicable
- Brew method
- Roast it yourself
Raw, unroasted beans for home roasters. Same lot, same harvest, roasted by you.
- Body
- Light
- Acidity
- Bright
- Brew method
- Pour over
The roast that shows the origin most clearly. Floral and tea-like, with the fruit still forward.
- Body
- Round
- Acidity
- Balanced
- Brew method
- Drip or jebena
The everyday roast. Sweeter than light, with the acidity settled back and the sugars fuller.
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Low
- Brew method
- French press or espresso
Roasted further, so the roast character leads. Heavier in the mouth, low acidity, holds up to milk.
See the full brewing guide or come and taste all four at the cafe.
Roasted to order
Shipped within 48 hours of the roast
Roast date printed on every bag
Grown without synthetic inputs, certification in progress
What people say on Connecticut Avenue
5.0 across 1,000+ Google reviews.
Google review
A warm and welcoming room, and a server singled out by name for genuinely friendly service.
Party of four, breakfast visit
Google review
The perfect 5 star rating makes sense. Fresh pastries, lemonade made from real lemons rather than syrup, reasonable prices.
Google review
Google review
Came in to study, stayed for the live jazz. A community hub with good wifi.
A regular
Questions
The things people ask first.
How does shipping work?
Shipping is a flat rate shown in the cart before you pay. Free sample claims ship at no charge. Wholesale deliveries in the Washington DC area can be arranged.
Shipping and returnsHow fresh is the coffee?
Every bag is sealed with a one way valve and printed with its roast date. We ship within 48 hours of the roast.
How it is grownHow is it roasted?
Coffee is roasted in small batches for the order in front of us, at the level you choose. It is a single lot, never blended across origins.
How it is grownHow should I brew it?
Start with the jebena, the method this coffee was grown for. Full ratios for pour over, French press, drip, espresso, and cold brew are in the brewing guide.
Brewing guideDo you sell wholesale?
Wholesale starts at 5 lb, with volume pricing from 10 percent. Green bean is available for cafes that roast their own.
WholesaleWhat is the free sample?
One hundred 5 oz bags of whole bean, free, with shipping covered. One per person, first order only. When the hundred are gone the list becomes a waitlist.
Claim a free sampleStay in touch
New lots, and the day the shop opens.
We email new lot announcements and when online ordering opens. A few times a year, no more. No forwarded offers, and you can leave the list whenever you like.