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Crown Jewel Outlook: September-December 2026

Get an early look at the Crown Jewel coffees arriving through the end of 2026, from Ethiopian naturals and rare Guatemalan cultivars to Colombian co-ferments and new origins in Asia.

Ethiopia Green Coffee Export Review

Ethiopia remains coffee’s genetic homeland and one of its most iconic origins, prized for bright, juicy cups with dazzling clarity. With a record 11.56 million bags produced in 2025/26 and exports moving primarily through Djibouti’s port, the country’s smallholder-and-cooperative model continues to deliver standout lots from Yirgacheffe, Sidama, Guji, Harar, and beyond even as fuel shortages and rising cherry prices test the supply chain.

Uganda Green Coffee Export Review

Uganda ranks among the world’s top 10 coffee producers, with Robusta making up roughly 80% of its output and Arabica the rest. As a landlocked country routing exports through Kenya’s port of Mombasa, Uganda has long been known for heavy-bodied, chocolate-forward cups but a new wave of specialty lots is revealing floral, tea-like, and fruit-forward profiles rarely associated with the origin.

Buy Great Coffee and Help Build a Digital Learning Center in Ethiopia

We expected a quick visit. Instead, it became one of the most memorable moments of the entire trip.

The Cast Iron Coffee Roasting Experiment

The Cast Iron Coffee Roasting Experiment

By Nate Lumpkin, Crown Barista Since we’ve all been stuck at home for months, it seemed like there was no better time than now to practice roasting my own coffee. I do most of my home cooking on a cast iron skillet that a friend gifted me many years ago, and I’d heard that it’s possible to roast...

What is “Good” Coffee?

What is “Good” Coffee?

By Elise Becker, Crown Barista COVID-19 has changed many things about how we go about our day-to day. In fact, it’s why I’m writing articles and recipes instead of serving drinks. So many brewing guidelines are floating around right now, and people who are used to picking up coffee from their...

Kumquat — Assume Nothing! A Year of Recipes

Kumquat — Assume Nothing! A Year of Recipes

"Assume Nothing!" A mantra for The Crown as we worked towards opening our doors in March of 2019, the phrase became a Menu section, encouraging our visitors to drop their preconceptions and be open to new and delicious experiences. And now it's the title of a recipe series, for you to recreate at...

We’re Getting to Work

We’re Getting to Work

This has been a particularly difficult and emotional time for many of us, particularly for our Black and Brown employees and communities. We all know the coffee industry in the United States is overwhelmingly white. I cannot imagine how weird it must be for a Black person working in this industry....

My Visit to Mayan Harvest

My Visit to Mayan Harvest

By Rosi Quiñones Coffee production has a legacy of inequality and abuse, so projects like Mayan Harvest that shake up the legacy power dynamics by rewarding the hard work of small scale farmers and giving women a platform to provide for themselves really excite me. When you empower a woman, you...