A little bit of history

Unlike other countries in the area, Panama’s climate is pretty much the same in the whole country. This is an extremely humid climate, with temperatures over 30 degrees celsius the whole year. It is said that because of this coffee took longer to become popular here than in other countries.

It was the 1800s, and other countries already had seen a growth in coffee plantations – yet in Panama, although the coffee plant did occur naturally in a lot of the country, nobody sought to pursue it as there was little demand.

This changed when an English seafarer (or Scottish, depending on who you ask), who had passed through Panama more than a couple times, decided to settle in this beautiful country. He saw the huge opportunity for trade that lied in the country – and the lack of competitors in the coffee market was too good to pass up.

So he traveled across the country to find the most suitable land to establish his farm. It was in Boquete that he found the perfect place.

Boquete is located just south of the Costa Rican border – in the mountainous highlands of Panama. The climate here is much cooler than the rest of the country, yet still humid enough for all manner of plant life to thrive. It was here that our coffee captain decided to settle: The climate, the beautiful view around him: It was the perfect place.

Boquete: The perfect place for coffee

The region of Boquete has some of the most complicated geography in a country that is, mostly, plain and simple. It all started with a volcano, which paved the way for the region’s intricate geography. It is thanks to this volcano that the land now enjoys rich volcanic soil, which enriches the quality of anything that you grow in it.

At the start of the spanish colonization, Boquete was the one place where colonizers did not dare venture into. The deep wilderness and high altitude made it an off-limits place for colonizers – and it is why many indigenous tribes survived thanks to settling in Boquete.

And this same Indigenous people of Panama who would, later on, become the very life of coffee in the region. Once a market for coffee was found in this region, it was all thanks to the hard labor of the indigenous tribes, such as the Ngöbe -people who, to this day, still dedicate their lives to coffee- that this area became a mecca for coffee.

So it was this combination of optimal conditions: Volcanic soil, unspoiled land, high altitude… It was, it could be said, all meant for coffee. But coffee it wasn’t all a fairy tale for coffee – it took over a century for the market to really prosper.

The rise of coffee

The coffee market found itself unable to grow after the 80s, when the international coffee market was being saturated by big competitors who could offer lower prices – like Brazil and Vietnam. Panama saw itself unable to compete with such big players, and had to sell their coffee at lower prices just to remain competitive.

Nevertheless, local coffee producers remained united. They saw an opportunity that could only be exploited in Panama: since the country is already at the center of a lot of international trade and business, let’s offer an international event where the local coffee producers showcase their coffee. It would be an elegant, free event for coffee lovers of all countries to come together. And, at the end of the event, the same coffee was auctioned to whomever liked it enough to buy it.

The even was a big hit right off the bat, with many foreigners and locals attending just to get a taste of panamanian coffee. It was called the Best of Panama auction.

It is now one of the most anticipated events for coffee lovers, with many attending exclusively to just get a taste of some of the world’s most exclusive coffee.

Geisha coffee

Geisha coffee is a naturally occurring type of coffee plant that is believed to have been originated in Ethiopia. Nobody knows exactly how or when this plant came over to the New World – but by the time farmers where starting to get into coffee, this variety was already around.

However, this plant remained undiscovered by the international market – with only a few on the most prosperous local farms still cultivating it for either personal consumption or for exclusive buyers – they knew that they had a valuable product. They just didn’t know how to introduce it to the rest of the world.

Then, Best of Panama happened. This was the perfect opportunity: In the second year that this event was held, Hacienda La Esmeralda entered their Geisha coffee – and it turned out to be a hit. Each year, the coffee sold for more -because there was more and more demand- and word of mouth of a mysterious, wonderful coffee spread among experts.

The result? Geisha coffee from Panama is now one of the most expensive coffees in the world – with a particular type being the most expensive, sought-after coffee bean in the whole world.

Having a cup of coffee in Panama

Most of the population of panama is concentrated in its capital city, which is right next to the sea. This means a humid, hot climate all year round – which could deter people from drinking coffee as much as they would like to.

But thanks to the recent modernization of Panama and the economic boom, coffee has also enjoyed a boom in popularity. With virtually no real coffee shops at the start of the 21st century, Panama City is now home to some of the world’s most exclusive coffee shops – and famous coffee shops from other countries have also opened their doors in the city.

As of now, Panamanian culture is starting to incorporate coffee to their life – though in a different manner from all surrounding countries; Panamanians get to enjoy some of the world’s most expensive coffee at cheap prices!