Starbucks Guatemala Antigua Coffee Basics_The Meaning Behind Starbucks Guatemala Antigua

Guatemala Antigua Coffee: Geographic Knowledge

Guatemala belongs to the Latin American coffee-producing region. It is the westernmost country in Central America, bordering Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.

Guatemala is known as the "Land of Eternal Spring," and in the indigenous languages its name means "land of forests."

Coffee is cultivated at average altitudes of 1,200-1,300 meters, and with over 300 microclimates across the country, Guatemalan coffee develops fascinating flavor complexity.

As is well known, Latin American coffees have bright, lively acidity with flavors of nuts, cocoa and subtle spice.

In the coffee world, Guatemalan coffee is famous not only for its production volume but also for its excellent quality.

"The first specialty coffee I ever encountered was made with Guatemalan beans from the little-known Huehuetenango region. The beans themselves were flawless, with balanced quality. After roasting, the taste, flavor and body were impeccable - complex and exquisite, like tasting a fine wine."

- Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing, and Enjoying, by Mamoru Taguchi

Antigua, located in south-central Guatemala, produces the country's finest coffee.

Antigua maintains a traditional way of life and sits among three volcanoes: Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. Coffee from this region grows at an altitude of 1,524 meters.

Coffee farm owners in Antigua possess rich horticultural knowledge and consistently produce some of Central America's best coffee.

Since 1973, Starbucks has been offering Guatemalan Antigua coffee.

Unlike many other coffee-growing regions worldwide, Guatemala's coffee benefits from a complete cultivation and processing system that ensures exceptionally consistent quality.

Ask most coffee experts at Starbucks: "If you could only drink one type of coffee, which would it be?" The answer, invariably, is Guatemalan Antigua coffee.

Guatemala Antigua Coffee

Basic Knowledge

Information about packaging, excerpted from "Coffee Star News."

Information about stamps.

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Starting in 2002, Starbucks launched a series of social development projects in Guatemala, including initial investments in education and healthcare projects at the Dos Marias estate.

This school serves the children of local coffee farmers (you are not seeing things - this really is the clearest image available).

Current State of Guatemala's Coffee Industry

Guatemala has eight famous coffee-producing regions (Huehuetenango and Antigua were mentioned above).

Anacafe (the Guatemala National Coffee Association) was established in 1960 and does not represent any buyers or exporters - it represents only the country's more than 125,000 coffee producers.

Excerpted from CoffeeT&I, Anacafe Green Book, Anacafe.

A Partner's Perspective

"Guatemalan coffee is my favorite morning coffee. Even on mornings when I don't want to get out of bed, its aroma wakes me with a gentle 'time to get up.' That pervasive fragrance brings a wonderful feeling and helps me welcome each day positively!"

- Pamela Fleetwood, barista, Seattle, USA

Bonus Section

Do you know how coffee was introduced to Guatemala?

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Roasting controls three elements that define a coffee's final flavor: acidity, sweetness and bitterness. The darker the roast, the more bitter and heavy the cup; the lighter, the more acidic and delicate. For the balanced character that makes Guatemalan Antigua so beloved, medium-roasted beans are the natural place to start. FrontStreet Coffee's Brazil Fazenda Rainha, a yellow Bourbon from the world's largest coffee-producing country, is medium-roasted into gentle notes of creamed peanut, chocolate, toast and sugarcane, and works for pour-over, moka pot and espresso alike.

If you prefer your medium roast a little sweeter, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy Gesha Blend unites two famous origins - honey-processed Costa Rica and washed Panama Gesha - into a cup with orange-blossom honey sweetness and a rounded, refreshing finish, suited to cold brew, pour-over and espresso. For a taste of China's specialty scene, the FrontStreet 2013 Sun-Dried Typica carries classic Yunnan Arabica character with soft flavors of nuts, brown sugar, black tea and dried apricot, and is a remarkable value for pour-over, cold brew or drip machines. And for the pinnacle of balance, the medium-roasted FrontStreet Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1, grown on Typica trees, fuses acidity, bitterness, sweetness and body into an elegant whole with chocolate, roasted nuts, cream and caramel - a standard few coffees can match.