Business Profile: Villa Myriam

\ Apr 06, 2017

4 min read

Villa Myriam Coffee is not just a business, it is a family. Even the name bears great significance to them. They take it from Joaquin Esteban’s farm, owners Juan and David Certain’s grandfather. Located in the hills of Piendamo, Colombia, the farm is named after Joaquin’s daughter, Myriam, who died at a young age. Family is the core of who they are and why they love what they do. When you see the name “Villa Myriam” printed on a bag of coffee, it is not just the company name, it is a pledge—a promise to you that inside of every single bag, the coffee beans have been meticulously cared for by the family, from the time they were a tiny seed to now. “We take tremendous pride in our name,” says Juan.

“We reject deforestation of our coffee fields by allowing the bushes to grow and prosper in their natural, shade-grown environment.” After all, natural beans just taste better. Those who work at the farm, even though they aren’t blood family, still feel like family, since most have been there for decades. They have a commitment because Villa Myriam not only contributes to their livelihood, providing them living wages, but also contributing to broader socio-economic responsibilities in their communities. These very important things factor into the Rainforest Alliance Certification; which is why they get every one of their beans certified.

David, is a certified Master Roaster from the Roasters Guild of America, and Juan is a certified member and Level II barista of the Barista’s Guild of America, both organizations overseen by the Specialty Coffee of America Association, where all their coffee is certified. These certifications are important because it guarantees the quality of each bean, and it only enhances what’s naturally in their heritage, in their blood. They rigorously train all the baristas at The Brew, their coffee bar located in downtown Albuquerque, taking them through the complex flavor profiles of each individual bean, only allowing them to serve coffee once they have mastered all the complexities that go into preparing the perfect cup.

It is with all this in mind that the Certain brothers are opening up a new coffee shop and roasting facility in the East Downtown area. “Our roots are Colombian but our family tree is now firmly planted in Albuquerque.” They quickly ran out of room in the old space, especially with the increasing popularity of their Nitro Cold Brew Coffee and Nitro Tea products, and finding the space to keep the cold brew equipment was challenging. Now they finally have a place to expand—a place being built with the vision of Villa Myriam in mind. The new space will feature a coffee shop with a centrally located bar, framed by large windows looking out on one side, into the urban expanse of downtown Albuquerque, and on the other, looking in to the roasting and canning facility. You will be able to sip on a specialty espresso, while watching how that espresso came to be in all of its intricacies.

“This is what we mean when we say “farm to cup” and “seed to cup.” We don’t simply know the farm, we are the farm. This idea is central to who we are, and the key to understanding the pride we take in preparing and serving the absolute best cup of specialty coffee, whether we’re roasting it at Villa Myriam or serving it at The Brew.”