Yemen has a long history in the story of coffee. Though Ethiopia is the birthplace of the Arabica coffee species, it was from Yemen that coffee the seed and coffee the beverage eventually spread around the world. Today, however, Yemen accounts for less than one percent of the global coffee production.

Over 500 years ago, coffee seeds were taken from forests in southwestern Ethiopia across the Red Sea to Yemen and cultivated as a commercial crop. In Yemen’s arid environment, farmers developed a very specific system for growing and processing coffee, selecting and propagating the trees that could survive in its hot and dry climate. The best coffee farmers, like Hassan Assalol, carefully pick and naturally sun-dry their coffees—a good fit for the water scarce environment—creating unique coffees with complex flavors. 

In the past half decade, Yemen has been devastated by ongoing war. Thankfully, Hassan Assalol and Mokha Story (formerly Mokha Route) have been able to continue producing and exporting coffee, working through challenging circumstances to bring us this extraordinary coffee experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to drink a beautiful coffee from one of the world’s most meaningful coffee-producing origins.