Coffee has become a classic staple for the cliché American morning routine. Big coffee chains litter almost every corner of suburban streets with quaint coffee cafes sprinkled in between. While the difference between the two might go unnoticed to some, avid coffee drinkers know the taste is far from similar.

Third wave coffee is a movement where the consumers and manufacturers pay very close attention to detail and unique qualities of coffee — similar to the details that go into making and enjoying a craft wine or beer.

“We like to talk about ourselves as a gateway coffee roaster,” Sam Higby explains. Higby is an owner of First Ascent Coffee Roasters located in Crested Butte, Colorado. This quaint little third wave café is a gem for any coffee connoisseur.

The way First Ascent roasts coffee closes in on specific aspects of the coffee beans themselves, for a better, more refined sense of taste. “We even brew the beans in a way that highlights that origin,” says Higby.

First Ascent has two new and unique flavors to introduce. Both of these coffees are from the Congolese and from women-led cooperatives. One of these new roasted coffee flavors is the Umoja coffee bean which carries more of a sweet apricot taste, as well as brown sugar and vanilla. The other flavor comes from Sumatra which tends to be more on the citrus side and carries notes of watermelon.

Higby explains another exciting new roast from a specific farm in Colombia. He shares how the coffee is dried with a more natural processing style versus washed. The washed process puts the cherry containing coffee bean in water until it soaks up so much it cracks. “Think of sitting in the hot tub for too long,” Higby explains. They then run it down a chute with paddles which beat the coffee bean out of the cherry.

The other way, the natural process, is to leave the cherry out in the sun until it cracks around the coffee bean, then run down the same shoot. This new coffee from the Colombian farm uses the fruit content of the cherry to determine the best processing level to choose and go from there.

“It was one of the sweetest, fruitiest coffees I’ve ever tasted,” Higby says, “but then it was super clean because it did have that natural processing that goes on.”

First Ascent is also partnering with Mighty Peace Coffee which helps advocate for justice and peace regarding bean trade. Mighty Peace Coffee works with sharing unique stories of the Congolese people and spread the word of injustice while also providing the best coffee possible. Their goal is to support more farmer and worker fairness with improving democratic structures. Fair Trade standards are met and continue to meet all certifications.

According to Addi Jenkins, a marketing coordinator for First Ascent, “we seek to honor all the hands that went into the creation of the delicious cup of joe.”

Learn more at firstascentcoffee.com.

Embrace the Third Wave Movement with First Ascent Coffee Roasters