Colombian growers of Ilse Coffee’s beans are carefully chosen

By Colleen Gundlach  

 When a person has a cup of coffee that actually “tastes like something,” they will never go back to drinking ordinary coffee again—the belief on which Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith have built their gourmet coffee-roasting business, Ilse Coffee. The couple, who have been roasting coffee in North Canaan since August, aim to provide the best in traceable, quality coffee beans. 

Grossman grew up in Canaan, but she and Smith first met when Smith was working at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury. Both have extensive backgrounds in gourmet and specialty foods. Smith’s mother operates Gruel Britannia in Fairfield, which became Ilse’s first wholesale client around four years ago. When the Ilse coffee blends proved to be popular at Gruel Brittania, the new coffee-roasting company was on its way and developed a strong online sales presence.

Smith says he is passionate when it comes to coffee and believes it is imperative to know the exact origin of the coffee beans they sell. In January, Grossman and Smith traveled to Colombia to visit the farmers who grow the beans so that they could see the source of the product and the process by which it is grown. “It is totally crucial and important that we know how our beans are grown and to connect with the farmers as people,” says Smith. Each of Ilse’s products is labeled with the country of origin and often the name of the farmer who grew the beans.

The couple focuses on quality and taste. “There are many factors that affect the character of the bean, including origin, variety, altitude and processing method, among others,” says Smith. “We take all of these factors into consideration when deciding what coffees to bring to our menu and customers.” He explains that the difference in taste among the beans is like comparing a Granny Smith apple to a Macintosh. 

After leasing time at a roastery in Stamford for three years, the couple agreed that they wanted to start a customer-facing business and decided to move back to Canaan. Later this month, the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee will be in the air when they open a coffee bar at their space on Railroad Street and a retail store offering their gourmet beans, as well as coffee-making equipment such as grinders, kettles and brewers.

Ilse Coffee’s specialty coffee blends and equipment are also available online at their website, ilsecoffee.com.