At Right Side Coffee, one thing remains constant year after year: when December arrives, we select a coffee that perfectly complements these weeks.
This isn't just any coffee. Every Christmas, we choose an origin and a profile that, through its sensations, structure, and character, perfectly suits this time of year. This year, 2025, our choice was clear: Esperanza Natural Mystic, the blend from Luis Alberto Balladarez that perfectly encapsulates everything we look for in a Christmas coffee.
A tradition that evolves every year
Our Christmas Coffee isn't a fixed profile. Each year it's different, because it depends on the coffee, the producer, and the moment. We look for comforting cups with depth, coffees that work equally well as espresso or filter coffee, and that invite you to linger a little longer at the table. This year, Natural Mystic fits that description perfectly: it's silky, clean, and has a profile reminiscent of ripe cherry, almond, and spices.
Finca La Esperanza and the work of Luis Alberto Balladarez
The coffee comes from Finca La Esperanza , located in the Dipilto-Jalapa mountain range, north of Nueva Segovia (Nicaragua), at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,800 meters. It is a 40-acre farm where coffee grows alongside actively preserved broadleaf forests. Varieties such as Caturra, Red Catuai, Pacamara, Maracaturra, SL34, and Bourbon are cultivated here using a careful and consistent agronomic approach.
Behind the farm is Luis Alberto Balladarez , a producer we've worked with since 2015. Besides being a coffee farmer, Luis is a parish priest, and he sees coffee as a tool to generate a positive impact on everyone involved in the supply chain. His commitment to quality and continuous improvement led him to win the Cup of Excellence in 2018 and 2020, but beyond the awards, what we value most is his work ethic and his openness to experimentation.
Natural Mystic: a recipe developed together
Natural Mystic is one of the processing recipes, or methods, that we have developed with Luis over the years. In this case, the cherries are fermented underwater with controlled resting periods to achieve more defined and clean profiles. Afterward, the coffee is slowly dried on raised African beds, in the shade, for approximately 25 days.
The result is a precise and balanced cup, with depth but without excess. A coffee that's easy to drink, evolves well in the cup, and works especially well at this time of year.
Available in store and at our coffee bar
During these weeks and while supplies last, you can find our Christmas Coffee available on our website . We're also serving it at our Right Side Coffee Bar , both as a filter coffee and espresso, for those who want to enjoy it on the go.
And as is now tradition, this launch comes with a small gift: a postcard illustrated by Flavita Banana , created exclusively for Right Side, which we include as a gift in all orders during this time.
A coffee designed to accompany December, to close the year with a good cup and to remember why we continue doing this the way we do.