Creating Better Beans with Mocina Coffee

The following information and photography is courtesy of our friends at Mocina Coffee. For more information on their history and company, visit their website or Instagram @mocinacoffee. 

Mocina is one of the newest businesses to join Heinen’s, and yet, their coffee has the quality of something that took decades to perfect. Founders Pablo and Farris just launched their brand this year and are already gaining the attention and admiration of everyone who brews a pot with their balanced, sweet and nutty beans. Their success is not just dependent on the taste of their coffee, but also on the people involved in their growing process and the unique conditions they work in.

Since Pablo Lopez’s grandfather immigrated to the United States from Guatemala, his family developed an even stronger understanding of “fine coffee cultivation.” His grandfather worked on the family’s coffee farm, and his passion for the craft meant that for Pablo, “Drinking fine specialty coffee at home was always a norm.” This connection to family heritage is only part of what makes Mocina special.

Every bag of beans harvested by Mocina is single-origin, meaning they come from one farm in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This is an important distinction – one that allows consumers to know exactly where their coffee comes from. It is at this farm where the harvesting period begins in early November. 100 farmhands from the area come in to pick the “coffee cherries,” and the harvest’s yield is then transported by mules down steep and rugged hills. Once they reach their destination, the beans are washed and sun-dried in several neighboring mills and shipped to the states – typically arriving within only 3-5 business days.

The fair trade relationship that Pablo and Farris have cultivated with Huehuetenango farmers is unparalleled in the business. Unlike other coffee producers, Mocina’s coffee beans are picked, harvested and roasted by the farmers in Guatemala, which allows their average wage to be significantly higher than the industry norm. Along with the wage increase, the single-origin aspect of Mocina coffee allows farmers to work for the entire year, which is a rarity in the industry. As Pablo and Farris put it, “that proves to be a win for our people, and ultimately for our planet.”

Mocina is just getting started, and in the future, they hope to create a better system for workers in third world countries. Despite being a new company, their fair trade standards and practices are already leading the way. Their passion for improving working conditions while creating quality coffee makes them a business we are proud to work with.

By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.