11 Puerto Rican Coffee Brands You Need to Know

The first kosher coffee from the island, Di Laris is grown near Lares. The coffee beans, or “cherries,” are dried in the sun and then roasted indirectly to a medium-dark.

Based out of Ponce on the southern coast of Puerto Rico, Café Rico was founded in the early 1900s. At the height of coffee production and exportation, Café Rico was shipped worldwide and was once the favorite coffee of the Vatican. To this day it is one of the largest-selling coffees of Puerto Rico.

Café Crema is also headquartered at the same facility in Ponce and is a delicious decaffeinated alternative. Arabica beans are processed to remove the caffeine but keep the full coffee flavor. Crema is a great complement to your evening pastry treat.

Yaucono, Café Crema and Café Rico are the three biggest roasters which control approximately 70% of the coffee production of Puerto Rico. Occasionally if yield does not meet demand, these roasters do import beans from other countries. Yaucono is widely served and enjoyed by the residents of the island, particularly with a little steamed milk, some brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon.

El Coqui is 100% Puerto Rican coffee grown in the San Sebastian area. The Rodriguez family has been growing, harvesting, roasting and selling their coffee for over 20 years. Stop by their store on PR-435 or order online.

Rioja Espresso will knock your socks off with its solid aroma and rich flavor. PuertoRicoCoffeeRoasters.com state that Rioja was created in the 1940s by Don Ricardo Betancourt in the Santuce area. This full-bodied dark roast is out of this world.

Also grown in the Lares area is Alto Grande, this coffee producer was almost wiped out when the island was hit by devastating hurricanes, but they persevered and are today still a popular coffee company in Puerto Rico.

Coffee is harvested from throughout the interior of Puerto Rico and roasted to a medium-dark at the Café Mami facility in Arecibo. Café Mami also stresses the health benefits of drinking coffee. According to their website, people who drink 6 or more cups of coffee a day reduce their risk of Type-2 Diabetes by 54% in men and 30% in women, risk of gallstones by 50% and their risk of Parkinson’s Disease by 80%. Café Mami is a wonderful roast to be enjoyed all day long.

Café Salome states that “direct sunlight and rainwater give the bean its distinctly ripe, fruity palate, which provides the coffee with a sweet taste and pleasant acidity. Our Single Origin Arabica-Caracolillo coffee bean is handpicked , from the North Central agricultural region of Puerto Rico, where the legend that gives Café Salomé its origins and history takes place.” The coffee is picked and roasted on the same day to provide the ultimate freshness.

Lester Marin has shared his passion for coffee with the rest of the world for the past 14 years, and continues to support and contribute to his island by ensuring the highest quality coffee possible. Share a cup with a friend.

Yet another coffee producer in the Lares region is Café Lareño. Luis Alcover and his wife Vilma Rodriguez opened in 1989, and as fourth generation coffee producers, they know their business. This family business likes to keep the human element in their entire process. When you are in Puerto Rico, stop by their coffee shop at Km. 57.7 on PR-128 to try their fresh roast and some decadent desserts.