Equator Coffees Honored at 2020 Good Food Awards for Hacienda La Esmeralda’s Geisha Grown in Panama

​Equator Coffees is no stranger to plaudits, but co-founder Helen Russell says they’re over the moon about their latest honor: a 2020 Good Food Award, one of less than two dozen doled out in the coffee division, which had more than 250 entries across the United States. 

Equator won for its submission of Hacienda La Esmeralda’s Gesha grown in the highlands of Boquete, Panama. Equator officials received the award from the legendary Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters.

The coffee is from Panama’s renowned Hacienda La Esmeralda, a farm owned and operated by the Peterson family since 1967. Esmeralda has become famous for its production of the Gesha variety.

​This fame resulted from a trial conducted on the farm in 2002 to isolate Gesha cherries from fruit of those of other varieties. The result was the discovery of the exceptional cup quality found in this low yielding cultivar. 

Equator Coffees has been buying coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda for more than 10 years, both directly and through their private auction. This washed processed lot comes from the Bosque plot of Finca Jaramillo, one of the Peterson’s several farms.

Due to limited availability and to maintain freshness, Equator will be roasting this coffee once a week on Wednesday. Order now and they will roast and ship the following Wednesday. MORE INFO.

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