The power of partnership: Caribou Coffee x Catalán de las Mercedes

This coffee tastes great, but its real impact goes beyond the cup.

Our Single Origin coffee program was created to shine a light on some of our most beloved coffees — and the people and places behind them. Over the decades, we’ve developed very close, treasured partnerships with farmers, and the Single Origin line is a beautiful (and yes, delicious) reminder of the collaboration that goes into every cup.

Catalán de las Mercedes is a returning favorite for 2026; many Caribou Coffee fans fell in love with this light roast that accents its fruity, chocolate notes and were eager for its comeback. But like we said above, there’s more to the Guatemala story than its tasting notes.

Next stop: Catalán de las Mercedes

The Guatemala coffee’s roots begin on a third-generation coffee farm in a village called San Martín Jilotepeque, located in the Chimaltenango region of Guatemala — 45 minutes from the city of Antigua. The farm, known as Finca Catalán de las Mercedes, is owned and operated by Nico Hammond and his wife, Angi. Nico is a community leader partnering with Unitrade, a coffee traders organization, to make a positive change for the surrounding population. 

The farm produces and processes several varieties of coffee, most notably bourbon which can develop red, yellow, orange and purple fruit. Grown at an altitude of 1,800-2,000 meters (more than a mile high!), Nico’s grandfather began planting this variety about 60 years ago and Caribou selected the red bourbon variety, widely recognized for its complexity and sweet cup profile. The coffee trees grow in clay-like and volcanic soil resulting in its juicy and fruity qualities.

The power of partnership

Unitrade Coffee, our sourcing partner, established its nonprofit, Coffee Care, in 2004. The nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing the lives of coffee farmers by improving access to healthcare, education and sustainable farming practices, and the school at Nico’s farm is one such effort. 

In 2020, after a decade of Coffee Care running daycare centers in other coffee regions during the harvest season, their financial supporter told them it was time to hand over the project to the communities. Crista, who works for the organization, explained, “We knew it would be difficult, and we also felt worried that all the knowledge and experience that we had gained would just somehow get lost once we had handed them over,” she explained. “We had the idea to design a guide to run ‘harvest season schools,’ or ‘Kitas,’ as we named them.” 

Nico was one of those test partners. Today, Nico and Angi lead the Catalán Education Center, where children are nurtured while their parents make a living, from infants to pre-teens. It has allowed Catalán to host the entire family unit without long periods of separation, especially during the coffee harvest. Parents can focus on their work, and their children are safe and cared for at the school. In addition, Nico created a program for children who have aged out of the school, teaching them to grow fresh vegetables to sell for additional income.

Brian Aliffi, Head of Coffee Operations at Caribou Coffee, visited Nico at the farm in February 2026 and describes him as “passionate, generous, and committed to preserving the excellent coffee grown near the town of Jilotepeque, Guatemala.” According to Brian, Nico maintains coffee throughout its growth and development and uses best practices during the fruit removal stage to preserve quality until the coffee is ready for export. “He’s built out a cupping lab and evaluates every lot of coffee that’s harvested and milled,” Brian adds. “He offers many varieties of coffee (ours is Red Bourbon) and some variations on milling to achieve the needs of his customers.” 

Shop Caribou’s Guatemala coffee

Guatemala features sweet, bright, fruit-forward chocolate characteristics. Don’t miss out on the chance to try it and support Nico’s farm; get your beans online or at a Caribou coffeehouse near you!