Coffee has always had its origins story – Ethiopia, Colombia, Panama. But California was never part of that conversation, until now. Coffee leader, Blue Bottle, has just launched the California Frinj San Diego Gesha, a washed Gesha grown in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties in partnership with Frinj Coffee, the pioneering network behind California’s emerging coffee movement. Gesha is widely regarded as one of the most prized varietals in specialty coffee, known for its delicate floral complexity and fruit-forward character – and this one delivers jasmine, peach, and strawberry in a cup.
Up until now, many coffee brands would shy away from growing specialty-grade coffee in California, as it requires years of experimentation and innovation. For the past two decades, Jay Ruskey, founder of Frinj Coffee, has helped pioneer California coffee product through continual experimentation with innovative growing practices, coffee varieties, and post-harvest processing. Now, this exciting new launch finally reflects that work. Cherries from two California farms were processed at Frinj’s wet mill in Ventura, using carefully controlled fermentation to result in an exceptionally clean cup of coffee. This new variety showcases the signature floral aromatics and bright fruit character of the Gesha variety.
Because California-grown coffee is naturally limited, this partnership made a great fit for Blue Bottle’s Exceedingly Rare and Studio offerings. Since 2018, Blue Bottle Coffee has featured California-grown coffees and plans to keep spotlighting them as opportunities arise. If you’d like to give this innovative California-grown coffee a chance, it is available on Blue Bottle Coffee’s website and priced at $115 for a 100 gram tin.
“California is a unique coffee origin in many ways. Most notably, coffee there thrives at exceptionally low elevations—often less than 100 meters above sea level, compared to the much higher elevations typical of many renowned arabica-growing regions. To succeed in this environment, Frinj has combined decades of California agricultural experience with research partnerships and collaboration with leading coffee producers around the world. That spirit of innovation has helped establish California as an exciting and increasingly respected coffee origin,” the Blue Bottle Coffee team shares.
