Christmas Coffee 2024 - Alasitas, Washed Caturra, Bolivia

This year marks our 10th anniversary of sourcing coffees from the Alasitas farm, which is run by Pedro-Pablo, Daniela and Pedro Rodriguez, on an absolutely breathtaking plot of land high amongst the clouds in the mountainous region of Caranavi, Bolivia. Year after year Alasitas’ coffees are such a pleasure to drink, coffees we could easily drink every day for the rest of our lives, and we are delighted to share their latest harvest of Washed Caturra as our 2024 Christmas Coffee.

It’s no secret that without the Rodriguez family, the Bolivian specialty coffee scene wouldn’t be nearly as diverse and high-quality as it is today. It’s one of many reasons why we’re so proud and honoured to have this relationship, which has grown into close friendship over the past decade. Every year we go to their farms during harvest, often staying at their mill, and they’ve  also made their way up to Stockholm to visit our team at Drop. 

Pedro Rodriguez started sourcing coffee from small coffee producers in 1986. In 2014, he and his family bought land in the Caranavi region to showcase their practices and educate other producers on sustainable farming, as well as increasing the overall volume at their mills. They prepared the land on 20,6 hectares and planted Red Caturra, Java and Gesha varietal. The name of the farm is Las Alasitas, which in the Aimara native language means “buy me”. 

Today the Rodriguez family owns mills, and they process and exports coffee for other farmers in the Caranavi and Sud Yungas region. They also have a sustainability project called ‘Sol de Manana’, which is built on three mantras: economical sustainability, social understanding and environmental awareness. They help other local coffee producers grow higher quality and larger quantities in a sustainable way, providing them with fertilisers and training in agronomics. They also process and export coffees on behalf of all of the Bolivian producers we buy from under their company Agricafé.

This coffee is their Caturra varietal, which is a natural mutation of Bourbon that has become common in Central America since its first introduction in Guatemala in the 1940s. Caturra attracted some attention from producers and breeders because of their small size, which allows them to be planted closer together and produce more fruit in the same space. 

Alasitas Washed Caturra has a caramel-like aroma and flavour notes of green apple, tiramisu and marshmallow. It’s medium-bodied and has a round mouthfeel, with a citric-like acidity in the aftertaste reminiscent of lemon juice and cacao nibs.  

For more about the Rodriguez family and Alasitas farm click here.