If you’re searching for a wholesome local coffee roaster, we’ll make your forage easier and worthwhile. After hours of searching for an inspiring local coffee roaster in the US, we stumbled upon Peace Coffee, a B-Corp certified coffee company in Minneapolis. What does this B-corp certified coffee company have in store for you? Read and enjoy.
- Coffee blends are readily available both in the online store and physical stores
- Coffees are sold in wholesale and retail
- Seasonal Coffee blends are always available
- A bit expensive
- Limited variety in coffee blends
Story of Peace Coffee
Peace coffee began not with the coffee beans but with its partner growers. It started with the mission of helping American farmers during the mid-1980’s family farm crisis through funding a nonprofit agency called the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy (IATP).
The mission grew exponentially with the vision to expand further and include other countries with deep roots in sustainable farming. Peace Coffee envisions how they can be the best partner and advocate coffee farmers to achieve a long-term change and profitability in commodity farming.
To put this mission and vision into action, the Institute of Agriculture & Trade Policy’s journey began with their conversation with the coffee farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. In 1995, an IATP staff took a trip to this coffee region, listened to farmers of all sorts, and contemplated the coffee farmers’ situation.
Among farmers the IATP staff had met, the most vocal and educated about the situation are the local coffee farmers. Though initial conversations were more focused on local trade policy and state-level advocacy, farmers highlight their struggle to make ends meet as a result of instability and lack of interest among coffee importers to pay fair wages.
Intrigued by the challenges observed from the local coffee farmers in Chiapas, the IATP decided to establish a partnership and bring coffee to Minneapolis. For the first time, IATP took the courage to forge a new fair trade model and started its coffee imports from the Chiapas region in 1996.
Since then, Peace Coffee has been committed to 100% Fair Trade-certified and organic coffee cultivated by small-scale farmers. These simple farms are local coffee cooperatives that support farmers in organizing, advocating for their rights, and sharing profits as a collective.
This sustainable coffee roaster continues to champion not only the rights of the farmers but also the society itself by pausing advertisement on social media giant Facebook for July as a response to Facebook’s long history of allowing content filled with racism, violence, and fake news to thrive in the said social media network.
Likewise, the CEO of the Minneapolis-based coffee company, Lee Wallace, was awarded the 2020 Women in Business Awards for its commitment to engage in the region’s civic life, assistance to start-up entrepreneurs in the local community, and raising awareness in social businesses.
Bike Love
Contrary to the standard four-wheeled coffee delivery model, Peace Coffee delivers fresh beans with a bike delivery system. Their two full-time and one-part time bike delivery riders pedal their way to every customer while hauling an average of 1800 to 2500 plus pounds of coffee beans each. No matter the weather, Peace Coffee will keep on reaching out to deliver their best tasting coffee blends.
Benefit Corporation
Peace Coffee is a modest B-certified corporation with an impact score of 100.5. This Minneapolis-based coffee company is BOTH an Organic coffee roaster, retailer AND a coffee company that advocates Fair Trade, helping small coffee farmers earn a decent wage from cultivating coffee.
Retail Locations
After Lee Wallace became CEO of Peace Coffee, the company expanded further and opened three retail shops in Minneapolis and grew its workforce from 12 to about 70 employees.
You can find Peace Coffee shops at the following locations:
- Capella Tower in 225 South 6th Street Minneapolis,
- AT&T Tower in 901 South Marquette Avenue
- Wonderland Park in 3262 Minnehaha Avenue
If you’re far from these cafes, you can also check out their Coffee Trucks that roll in Minnesota towns’ streets from May through October. Best of all, these coffee trucks are available for rent to private parties allowing you to please your guests with an unlimited supply of freshly roasted and brewed coffee, prepared by professional baristas.
Coffees Available
If you’re considering giving Peace Coffee a shot, try these Big Cup of Coffee recommendations:
Twin Cities
The Twin Cities blend is a 100% organic coffee that you can get in 12 oz, 20 oz, and 5 lbs sizes. This coffee blend pays tribute to St. Paul and Minneapolis coffee beverages’ distinct styles, making it a flavorful, balanced signature blend coffee you’ll surely love whichever sides you’re from.
- Roast Level: Blend of medium and dark roast.
- Origins: Sumatra, Peru, and Honduras
- Cup Notes: Well-rounded, balanced brew with intense flavor and syrupy texture.
- Taste Notes: With hints of toasted walnuts, cocoa, and caramel tones.
- Brew Method: Drip, French Press, Pour-over, Moka Pot, AeroPress, Cold Brew
- TASTING NOTES: toasted walnut, cocoa, caramel
- ORIGINS: 100% USDA certified organic coffee beans Sumatra, Peru and Honduras
- WELL ROUNDED: A blend of dark and medium roasted beans that gives a strong and flavorful but balanced brew
- ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: All Peace Coffees are organic, fair trade and sourced from small growers
- B CORP CERTIFIED: Certified by the B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance
Birchwood Breakfast Blend
The Birchwood coffee blend by Peace Coffee is the perfect morning joe to pair with breakfast sunny side-ups, bacon, pancakes, or toasts. You can get this coffee blend in 12oz, 20 oz, or 5 lbs coffee bag sizes or avail the coffee subscription to ensure that Birchwood will be delivered to your doorstep every 2, 3, or 4 weeks.
- Roast Level: Medium Roast
- Origins: Peru and Sumatra
- Cup Notes: Smooth body with mild acidity and appealing aromas of roasted hazelnut, graham, smoke, and vanilla.
- Taste Notes: With hints of bittersweet chocolate, honey, and cedar tones.
- Brew Method: Drip, French Press, Pour-over, Moka Pot, AeroPress
- TASTING NOTES: Rich and familiar, with surprising sweetness and a sturdy chocolate smokiness
- ORIGIN: 100% USDA certified organic coffee beans Sumatra and Peru
- MILD ACIDITY: This blend of Sumatran and Central American coffee beans has mild acidity and a smooth body
- ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: All Peace Coffees are organic, fair trade and sourced from small grower
- B CORP CERTIFIED: Certified by the B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance
Guatemala
The Guatemala single-origin offered by Peace Coffee is a dark roast coffee that is rich and chocolatey. It is 100% organic coffee sourced from the Apecaform Cooperative in the Pueblo Nuevo region.
- Roast Level: Dark roast
- Origins: Guatemala
- Cup Notes: Smooth coffee with soft acidity and enticing aroma of dark chocolate, caramelized sugar, toasted almond, and smoke.
- Taste Notes: With hints of cherry, anise, and bittersweet chocolate.
- Brew Method: Drip, French Press (highly recommended!), Pour-over, Moka Pot, AeroPress
- TASTING NOTES: bittersweet chocolate, cherry, anise
- SINGLE ORIGIN: 100% USDA certified organic coffee beans from Apecaform Cooperative in Pueblo Nuevo, Guatemala
- DARK ROAST: Our most popular dark roasted coffee
- ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: All Peace Coffees are organic, fair trade and sourced from small growers
- B CORP CERTIFIED: Certified by the B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance
French Roast
The French Roast coffee blend of Peace Coffee allows you to experience an authentic French Roast. It has deep sugary notes and roasty flavors that accentuate the dark roasted coffee beans.
- Roast Level: Dark roast
- Origin: Peru
- Cup Notes: has a gentle body and soft acidity enveloped by the aroma of molasses, butter, smoke, and dried herbs.
- Taste Notes: With hints of dried fruit, baking chocolate, and smoke.
- Brew Method: Drip, French Press in full immersion (highly recommended!), Pour-over, Moka Pot, AeroPress
- TASTING NOTES: Smoky sweet chocolate and the subtle sweetness of black cherry and vanilla
- ORIGIN: 100% USDA certified organic coffees from Cooperativa Agrarian Cafetalera in San Martin de Pangoa, Peru
- TRUE FRENCH ROAST: Meticulously developed to a dark roasted stage to develop deep sugar notes
- ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: All Peace Coffees are organic, fair trade and sourced from small growers
- B CORP CERTIFIED: Certified by the B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance
Yeti Cold Brew
The Yeti Cold Brew is for the adventurous. It’s a fancy coffee blend; you can enjoy hot or cold. This coffee blend tastes like sweet dark cherry with a tinge of smokiness, a perfect beverage for travelers and French Press lovers.
- Roast Level: Medium roast
- Origin: Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua
- Cup Notes: Has a smooth and creamy body with chocolate, toast, and almond aroma
- Taste Notes: With hints of caramel, dark chocolate, and smoky undertones.
- Brew Method: Drip, French Press (highly recommended!), Pour-over, Moka Pot, AeroPress, Cold brew
- TASTING NOTES - Smooth and rich, with sweet dark cherry and a tinge of smokiness
- ORIGINS – 100% USDA certified organic coffees from Peru, Nicaragua and Guatemala
- CREATED FOR COLD BREW - Coarse grind especailly for coldbrew and cold press
- ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE: All Peace Coffees are organic, fair trade and sourced from small growers
- B CORP CERTIFIED: Certified by the B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance
What the Community Says
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Verdict
Peace Coffee Company is a modest B-certified corporation that helps small coffee farmers and their local community. Their ways of promoting sustainability are inspiring and straightforward: from the way they treat their partner farmers to delivering your coffee beans to your doorstep. Indeed, they’re a sustainable coffee brand worth supporting.
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