We first encountered Alejandro Valiente and his knack for coffee in 2011, in the Metapán highlands. Instead of just trying to sell us his coffee, he seemed to be interviewing us--gauging how much we really cared about his region’s indigenous communities and diverse ecology.

After a few years working together, we began La Selecta. Alejandro advises agricultural workers throughout Central America on the rewards and challenges of specialty coffee. He follows up by ensuring that Four Barrel payments always make it that last step into growers' hands.

With Alejandro traveling from farm to farm, Four Barrel now includes a local expert whose... read more...

Our nationally recognized coffee experts are available to lead corporate events and team-building exercises.

Email classes@fourbarrelcoffee.com to start the conversation.

We easily customize our workshops, so they can be:
-on-site at our roastery, or elsewhere;
-focused on education, or centered around experience;
-incorporating competitive elements, or mellow;
-built for two people, or twenty-five;
-thirty minutes short, or three hours long.

We have been designing and leading private coffee events for years. Email classes@fourbarrelcoffee.com right now to see what we can do for your crew!

Four Barrel Coffee featured artist Rachel Blumberg has thought about it.

"I think I would paint with my right hand, drum with my left hand, and both feet would keep time on the hi-hat and kick. Maybe I could drum with paint brushes?”

Her art will continue to grace Four Barrel bags for a few months, if we're lucky.

Read more on the blog, please.

FREDY, A SECOND-GENERATION GROWER & CUP OF EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENT, PRESENTS CATURRA THAT’S CRAZY FRESH, CLEAN, & SWEET. 

Fredy is a great example of the specialty coffee’s new generation. His parents ran medium-small coffee farms, and were getting by just fine, but he saw room for something new.

His timing couldn’t be better. European and American roasters are catching on to the potential in Peru’s agricultural highlands. Take us, for example. We hadn’t visited for about six years, and a lot happened during that time.

By the time we landed for this year’s visit, the conversation about quality had really grown.... read more...