Luxury Coffee Drops ✨

Twenty years ago, Gesha coffee burst onto the international scene and forever changed the specialty coffee industry. In many ways, it transformed the way we think about coffee.

This variety, and the story behind it, is the theme of our Luxury box this month. 

Inside this box, we’re showcasing Gesha from where it’s fame started, the world renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda farm, to some of the unique places around the world where it is grown today (China and Tanzania).

The discovery of Gesha

Gesha coffee, now one of the most celebrated and sought-after varieties in the specialty coffee world, has a fascinating journey that began in a small village in southwestern Ethiopia. The story of its discovery begins in the 1930s when British colonial officials, conducting botanical expeditions in Ethiopia, identified a unique coffee variety.

The plants were collected and eventually found their way to Central America in the 1950s where they were planted on several coffee estates. They quietly grew for decades, almost unnoticed.

Gesha’s rise to fame

Everything changed in 2004 when the Peterson family, who owned Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, entered their Gesha coffee in the "Best of Panama" competition, an annual event that attracts producers and buyers from around the world. The coffee stunned judges with its distinctive floral and jasmine-like flavors, bright acidity, and smooth, silky body.

The recognition at the Best of Panama competition set the stage for Gesha’s meteoric rise. Later that year, it set a world record for the highest price ever paid at auction, and the coffee world quickly took notice.

The impact of Gesha on specialty coffee

Gesha's impact on the specialty coffee industry has been profound. Its success highlighted the importance of coffee varietals and encouraged a shift toward quality over quantity in coffee production. The high prices that Gesha coffee commanded also demonstrated that consumers were willing to pay a premium for unique and exceptional quality.

Gesha's rise also inspired a deeper exploration of coffee worldwide, and helped push the boundaries of what great coffee can be.