The Big Green Mermaid up the block may not be the most loved coffee company on earth but I do have to admit…they actually do source a pretty good product. How I got my hands on some in Campfire’s early days is a fun story. And I still can’t understand why they roast it like that…

It was the beginning of the pandemic so shit was already just weird. But this scenario where I somehow snagged a bag of St*rbucks green was super weird.

Everyone I know has a hunch that the coffee game is no different than the illicit drug game. And while I can absolutely say I've never been a part of the illicit drug game, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, being close enough to it over my lifetime that once you remove the glossy, lily-white corporatization of the coffee industry, it is 100% exactly the same.

This hunch was confirmed by 2 experiences I had early on in our coffee journey. It was 2020, we were flying high - or as they say: learning to fly a plane while building it. I had the opportunity to connect with a farmer from Costa Rica. Her family had been growing coffee for several generations and the big coffee companies were routinely a customer. Without saying too much, I'll say that I learned more in that single phone call about the coffee game then I ever have watching social media about it. You want to learn about ANYTHING coffee related? From farming to roasting to barista’ing just get a hold of a farmer - their knowledge is magical and I swear this call still has an influence on how I view Campfire. Anyway, a big part of that call was learning how big coffee companies come into these coffee growing regions like the cartels do; Government officials get tied up, shady things happen at ports, shady characters show up and mysteriously leave, promises are made - some kept some broken and in the end everyone gets paid and lives a good life. The last part struck me because I believed the farmers were all poor. But on her account: There’s a difference between getting your fair share and being paid decently. In other words, do the farmers get their “fair share” more times than not, no. But do they get paid decently? Almost always yes. Not always. And when they don’t, it’s usually because of a little game the big guys ran on them. But she mentioned laughing when she comes to the States and goes into a coffee shop with a mural of some indigenous person holding a basket of coffee cherries. It’s part honoring their work but also part pity. And 100% the brand knowing that Americans and our built-in superiority complex feel good in a weird way when we spend money at places like this.

Which leads me to how I got my hands on some of their stuff.

We were at a point where we were finally buying full sacks of coffee. Which was strange in those days. We’d gone from just placing an order online to working with importers and farmers directly which is a completely different process. We got an offer sheet and something was a little different about one of the listings so I inquired about it. The importer called me - speaking almost in code it was something to the affect of: This is some really good stuff. Can’t say where it’s from but it’s super high grade and I can get it to you cheap, but it has to be a package deal and you have to pick it up tomorrow. At this point I was just happy to get some really really good coffee I didn’t exactly care where why or how. But when I pulled up to retrieve it was a different experience than what I was getting accustomed to. One bag for will call pick up - easy. Loaded into the mini van ready to rock. Then the dock worker looked at the paperwork and kinda cocked his head to the side like a dog when it hears a funny noise.

He didn’t say much he just waved me off the ramp and signaled me to go around the building. Why? I still don’t understand but my guess was it had something to do with the contents of that 2nd bag. I pulled down, pulled around the side and waited. He came out with a cart, mask over his face, moved quickly, tossed the bag in left.

It felt like a drug deal lol.

-A faceless broker who spoke in code about some high grade stuff that needed to move quick

-A handler who was antsy and didn’t say much.

-A directive to pick up the product around the back….

I could smell it when it got in the car with me. And when I got back and cut open the bag, it absolutely was TO THIS DAY some of the best green coffee I've ever held in my hands. It was a bright shimmering green and smelled like green apples and cinnamon. The bag said it all - this coffee was supposed to be headed to the St*rbucks Reserve roastery up the road. Somehow ended up on the “black market” of green coffee and into my hands at a discounted rate. It became our first feature coffee and sold out QUICK. Now to celebrate year 6 it’s back.

Use code YEAR6 at checkout to get $6 off your purchase of $26 or more.