Sustainable Organic Coffee comes to the Bethlehem Brew Works

Organic. Sustainable. Delicious.

The Brew Works only ‘brews’ the best!

Our new coffee blend is the result of partnerships that develop a line from the birth of the bean to the smiles our our guests. The line runs from Fegley’s Brew Works through the Cosmic Cup (our roaster) back to Hacienda El Roble, a sustainable coffee farm in Los Santos, Colombia.

Fegley’s Brew Works is proud to use Mesa de los Santos beans for our house blend. Mesa is grown on Hacienda El Roble, an organic coffee estate in the Santander province of Colombia. In partnership with our roaster, Troy Reynard, of the Cosmic Cup in Easton we have formed this direct relationship between the coffee we serve and the people who grow and harvest the coffee.

Oswaldo Acevedo, owner of El Roble, is an innovator in both the quality of his coffee and the sustainability of his practices. Our Mesa Blend is a mix of carefully chosen coffee varietals, including Typica, Bourbon and Caturra, all uniquely suited to microclimate at El Roble. Our Mesa Blend is characterized by its smooth, sweet flavor, highlighted with hints of tropical fruit and chocolate.

The farm is Rainforest Alliance certified, which ensures our Mesa Blend conserves biodiversity and ensures sustainable livelihoods at origin. 168 species of birds can be found inside Hacienda El Roble, and the farm helps support a K-12 school that serves the entire Los Santos region. Growers and harvesters are paid above-average wages, enjoy good working conditions and have access to healthcare.

Common Questions Answered:

Is your new blend Fair Trade?

Our coffee is beyond Fair Trade. We have a direct relationship with the farm, which pays fair wages to its workers. Independent farms are not allowed to participate in the Fair Trade system. Only large cooperatives of hundreds or thousands of small farms are allowed to participate in the Fair Trade system. It’s hard to control quality and consistency on such a large scale. But we wanted to have a relationship with a single farm, so we could personally witness and participate in the sustainability and quality that happens at Hacienda El Roble. El Roble is also certified by Rainforest Alliance, which is a third-party that guarantees that the farm is socially and environmentally responsible.

We have decided to go beyond Fair Trade, ultimately, because we found that the Mesa coffee from El Roble was better. Through our relationship with El Roble and the farm’s Rainforest Alliance certification, we know that their workers are paid fairly and have access to education and health care.

Have you been to the farm?

Troy Reynard, our roaster, visited the farm this past January in part to create a relationship coffee blend for Fegley’s Brew Works. Troy will visit El Roble on an ongoing annual basis, to consult with the growers on quality and participate in development projects in the Los Santos region. Fegley’s Brew Works, by buying this coffee, is an active participant in this process.

Why did you change your blend?

The difference is night and day! We find our new Mesa Blend sweeter and smoother than our old blend. Troy has been developing blends and roasts with El Roble for 6 years. The growers are extremely meticulous in how they cultivate, harvest and process their coffee, and if you give it a chance, you will definitely taste it in the cup.

Is your coffee still organic? Is it shade grown?

Our Mesa Blend is certified organic, shade grown and bird friendly. The coffee trees are cultivated under a dense forest canopy, and is certified organic by BCS OKO-Garantie, a leading international certifier. El Roble is a habitat for over 120 varieties of migratory birds.