LỘC RỪNG GRAPE DRINK 🍇

Origin: Vietnam

Process: Grape co-fermentation

Varietal: Catimor

Roast level: Light

In the cup: grape soda, Concord grapes, lavender

Many of us grew up with those grape sour candy that just looked like a bunch of grapes covered in sugar. Delicious and almost guaranteed to induce a massive stomach ache because you were incapable of stopping yourself from demolishing every piece of candy in sight. Well, now that we're all older, there's good news. Kate and Leo are trying to make this happen in a cup of coffee. Grape flavour that jumps out at you. More mild than the lychee iteration, this is more subtle considering it's a co-ferment. Nevertheless, you will taste the "kasugai-like" grape throughout this cup. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely a great idea!

ABOUT THESE PRODUCERS

Lộc Rừng (‘Nature’s Gift’) is a small processing operation focused on innovation and raising the overall quality ceiling in Vietnam. Managed by Kate (Nguyễn Mỹ Duyên) and Leo (Nguyen Thanh Long), Lộc Rừng came to our attention through our preceding partnership with Zanya, to whom they were already delivering exceptionally high quality cherry. With a core crew of 4–5 mill and greenhouse workers and a rotating group of local pickers committed to their strict ripe-cherry-only standard, this team is already accomplishing an incredible amount.

Loc Rung operates in Đưng K’nớ, an area with ideal conditions for Arabica coffee production. The farms are located at an average elevation of around 1,500 meters above sea level, between two primary forests. that keep temperatures stable, humidity high, and cherry maturation slower than average—all of which creates an unusually good foundation for the work they do. Traditional washed and natural offerings are strong, but their fermentation work is what most distinguishes them—from co-ferments and carbonic maceration to an in-house developed aerobic ‘Ferveo’ process built around gentle gas fermentation in water, allowing for dramatically extended fermentation times at stable temperature. Underpinning all of this ingenuity is a resounding commitment to sustainability in the field, a value that Kate identifies as foundational to her generation of Vietnamese coffee professionals.