05/12/2026
Today we’re bringing back a longtime favorite producer: and from La Joya in Veracruz, Mexico 🌱
The entire operation at microbeneficio La Joya () is guided by the expertise of Samuel Ronzón and Gloria Hernández, a husband/wife team known for their strictly controlled processing methods. Gloria is a PhD candidate in biotech and ecology; Samuel is a third-generation farmer whose penchant for experimentalism in processing earned him an international reputation in the specialty coffee world.
For example, the Jade Imperial process is a 100-120 hour fermentation-oxidation protocol using the natural microorganisms found at the microbeneficio (in pre-Colombian Mesoamerican cultures, Jade is a symbol of life, fertility, and power). From seed to drying bed, the coffee celebrates the natural terroir of La Joya’s specific, diverse, and endemic ecosystem.
In the process of showcasing regionality, Sam Ronzón’s production methods conserve resources and focus on long-term harmony with the land. This is intentional: his desire to reinvent coffee processing stems from an effort toward sustainability, whether through farming under diversified shade trees, using environmentally low-impact practices, or advocating for unity among small stakeholders in the global coffee community. In La Joya’s words, “We believe in the transformative power of experimentation, which allows us to learn, grow, and feel alive.”
This is the most recent coffee in our long history with La Joya; we have been roasting Samuel and Gloria’s coffees since 2019. Coffee Project NY operations manager and US Brewers Cup competitor, Dre Morales, brewed a La Joya Maracaturra with a similar post-harvest process for competition in 2023, citing its elegance and balance.
Lot 93A was collected in a single-day harvest on May 23rd, 2025.
