Sustainably-focused coffee company brewing up in Aspen

Alpine Roasters is not your average coffee company. 

It’s willing to pay more to support farmers, ensure its product is sustainably produced and organic, and leave a smaller carbon footprint. 

Formerly based in Basalt, it will offer its eco-friendly roast from the patio of Michelin Star Bosq at 312 S. Mill St. beginning in early June. It currently offers its delivery service from Aspen’s West End, available for purchase at alpineroasters.us.

Owner Andrew Wilz has a specific philosophy when it comes to his company and those they work with — all the way from farm to cup.

“It’s regenerative or nothing,” Wilz said. 

He sources the coffee from regenerative farms in Colombia, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Rwanda — all of which take a sustainable approach to farming, focusing on soil health and enhancing the biodiversity of their natural environment. 

Alpine Roasters also imports the coffee itself rather than hiring a third party to do so, minimizing auxiliary supply chain steps. 

“So it’s a shorter supply chain and smaller carbon footprint as sort of a byproduct,” Wilz said. 

He added that he strives to support the farmers by matching or increasing the price they set.

“I’m happy to pay more if it means better quality of life for the grower and opportunity for them to upgrade their equipment and education,” he said. 

He also purchases much of his coffee from women-owned farms. 

On the local side, Wilz is focused on keeping his carbon footprint to a minimum. He currently completes all of his delivery requests from the West End by foot or on a bike. 

Apart from the sustainable side of his business, he seeks to fill a specific role with his coffee, understanding that there are two different camps of coffee consumers in the U.S.

“One I would say is the consumer that’s doing it for the caffeine,” he said. ” … And the second person can generally be classed into the coffee-enthusiast camp, where they’re open to trying different things and they understand that the quality of the coffee matters.”

He said he’s trying to target those who are interested in the origin of the fruit — looking at how it is grown and its varietal type. Quality coffee, he said, should not need added flavors. 

“Because coffee is a fruit, my position is: It’s perfect as it is, it doesn’t need anything,” he said. “Just like you wouldn’t add milk to orange juice or your wine.”

Bosq Owner and Chef Barclay Dodge said they chose to partner with Alpine Roasters because of the company’s quality product and ethical approach to coffee. 

“Their product is amazing, and I stand behind that,” Dodge said. “And they really seem to follow good ethics with sustainability and sourcing from quality farms that are working with a sustainable method.”

Bosq strives for sustainable cuisine, focusing on purchasing from small, environmentally-friendly food and drink producers. 

“It’s so important to take care of our planet and our local community and the environment, as well,” he said. 

He added that he believes coffee producers who buy from smaller farms, as Alpine Roasters does, tend to yield better flavor profiles.

“At the end of the day, I’m a flavor seeker,” Dodge said. “That’s my mission.”

Alpine Roasters will be serving coffee alongside Aspen-based Mountain Coffee, mtncoffee.com, which will be selling kombucha fermented in coffee — their signature product — among other things. 

“This is a collaboration of coffee enthusiasts,” said Mountain Coffee Owner Timothy Foster.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.