Las Guerreras, Mexico, Natural

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT 250g ORDERS MAY BE FULFILLED IN GWGC BRANDED BAGS

We know sometimes it feels like summer will never get here, but the days are definitely longer, and sometimes lighter, and that's pretty much all we need here at GWGC HQ to start feeling those summertime vibes- and the perfect coffee to encapsulate that lightness and spirit of celebration is this natural number from Las Guerreras, Mexico: think delicate, yet fruity, and strawberry jolly rancher sweet with a smooooooth mouthfeeeeel.

Excitingly, not only is this our first Mexican coffee, but also our first year working with Ensambles. We feel their ethics align with ours and know this is the start of a great long-term partnership. We love their 3 pillars of business: Quality, Equity and Sustainability.

The name Las Guerreras (Warriors) was chosen for this coffee because life is tough in Guerrero and the 3 women behind this wonderful coffee- Octavia, Honoria and Bernardina fought their entire lives against discrimination in a culture that marginalises and minimises women. This is the reality of women raised in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico. Human trafficking is common, and exchanging a daughter for cash or an animal is a common occurrence in some communities. A lack of institutional support makes it difficult for this situation to end, and women suffer the most from it.

Octavia Sanchez Cristino is one of the first Guerreras, today she is the project's treasurer and in charge of the coffee nursery. Doña Octavia greatly helped scaling up the project by motivating other producers to join in. She also looks after her children, husband and parents. She brings most of the income to her family. Doña Octavia actively participated in social protests in Mexico City to fight for indigenous people's rights.

Honoria Martinez Sanchez describes herself as a rebel: at age 17 Doña Honoria went against local custom and left to study at the Intercultural University of Guerrero. She is not one to do as she is told! She chose not to marry, holding firm with this despite insults and criticism towards her. In the Juba project, Doña Honoria supported Doña Octavia organising producers meetings and presenting to newcomers with patience and resilience.

Bernardina Guevara Sanchez heard of the Juba project from Octavia and Honoria. Aged 67, a housewife who has never worked before, Doña Bernardina joined the organisation in 2021. Together with her daughter they cultivate 1.5 hectares of land and were able to sell half of the production as specialty, thanks to the efforts towards fruit selection. Despite working the land all year round the land is not theirs, because legally only men can own land; unless they die: in which case, the widow becomes the owner. Her daughter, Rebeca, studied history in the State University, and is highly motivated by the Juba project. She actively seeks for young producers to join and improve the quality of their coffee in order to access a more promising market.

PRODUCER / SANCHES CRISTINO / HONORIA MARTINEZ SANCHEZ / BERNARDINA GUEVARA SANCHEZ

REGION / MONTANA ALTA / GUERRERO / MEXICO

VARIETY / TYPICA

PROCESS / NATURAL

ROAST PROFILE / ESPRESSO + FILTER

TASTES LIKE / PINEAPPLE, BERRY + LIME PALETAS / BROWN SUGAR / FIESTA DE SABOR

This mighty Mexico brews up beautifully as both filter and spro but we thought we'd also share our love of it as a cold brew concentrate with y'all but suggesting you try a 12-24 hour steep of about 65g to 240g; you can dilute with whatever you want, but we will ALWAYS suggest you try it with tonic and in this case a slice of lime is just ~chefs kiss~