Mexico Chiapas

El Mezcal is a fine example of how the specialty coffee industry elevates small-scale producers. This micro-lot, produced by a collective of 12 farmers in Chiapas, Mexico, was initially part of a larger regional blend. E-Cafe Chiapas, an organization of growers and exporters since 2007, organized this group to focus on higher quality and recognition for their unique coffee. E-Cafe owns two farms, Finca Las Chicharras and Finca Cascadas, and helped the El Mezcal farmers improve their cultivation and processing techniques. In 2016, E-Cafe hosted the farmers at Finca Las Chicharras to teach them methods for producing specialty coffee. Three years later, they assisted in building raised beds to improve drying, transitioning from traditional yard drying methods.

The coffee is grown at 1,250–1,600 MASL, featuring Bourbon, Catuai, and Arabe varietals. After handpicking, the cherries undergo 24 hours of fermentation before being washed to remove mucilage. They are then sorted and dried on raised beds in a controlled greenhouse environment. The meticulous process includes destoning and unwanted particles, hulling, color sorting, and size grading to ensure uniformity and high quality. The final result is a cup with delightful notes of black tea, honey, tangerine, and sweetbread pastry, perfect for pour-over, auto-drip, full immersion, or espresso.

El Mezcal takes its name from a local tree that provides generous shade to the coffee plants. Thanks to E-Cafe Chiapas, these 12 farmers have transitioned from selling to local markets to producing exceptional, globally recognized specialty coffee.