Caffe Ibis

Award-winning coffee in Utah.

September 26, 2016

caffe-ibis-brandon-best — Brandon Despain of Caffe Ibis

Caffe Ibis Roaster, Brandon Despain, was the first Utahn to win first place at the 2015 U.S. Coffee Championships. In February of this year, Brandon placed 5th with his Asrar Haraz light roast with beans sourced from Yemen.

We caught up with Brandon just after he returned from a trip to Africa to personally inspect some of the farms where Caffe Ibis sources their beans. “I needed to ensure that all the farmers we work with are maintaining the triple certification standards we require,” Brandon said. Even more than just the growing requirements, Caffe Ibis needs to make sure the labor conditions are fair and safe.

Brandon said that Caffe Ibis will be sourcing and inspecting more farms personally because he understands that [rainforest safe, shade-grown, organic] certified coffee is a large part of the reason so many restaurants and stores choose Caffe Ibis coffee.

We had a chance to sample Brandon’s award winning coffee. The Asrar Haraz was incredibly smooth and full of unique hints of molasses and cinnamon—no cream or sugar required.

Utah Stories

Caffe Ibis, Certified Coffee Beans, Local coffee shops

Richard Markosian

I am a story teller and journalist. I have a passion for farmers, local craftspeople, and folks who aspire to create, build and grow their business in the local marketplace. Why local? By supporting locally-owned businesses we create more opportunity for entrepreneurs, and we claim our sovereignty to shape our communities how we want to see them. I aspire to build Utah Stories Magazine into a household Utah name, and assist Utah businesses and makers with marketing. On the journalism side of things my passion is investigative journalism that offers true insight into issues. I believe strongly in the forth estate: strong, meaningful, insightful journalism is essential to a free market Democracy.

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