Café Unido Casco Viejo

Cafe Unido Will Bring Geisha Coffee to D.C.’s La Cosecha Latin Market | Eater DC

"Started in 2014 by Benito Bermudez and Mario Castrellon (joined by Feres Yebaile), Café Unido has grown into a roasting company with seven cafes in Panama City and a strong commitment to direct relationships with producers: the partners currently work with 15 farms to source beans for pour-overs, espresso blends, nitro coffee, and cascara, experiment with natural-process beans that undergo a 120-hour fermentation, and pay premium prices while funding schooling and nutrition programs for itinerant workers. Bermudez, the head brewer who trained in Portland, stresses that those direct ties should keep prices down in D.C. (they expect Geisha to run about $10–$25 and other high-end varieties $5–$10); Café Unido plans to bring producers to D.C. for explanatory lectures and cuppings, will open two counters (including a Geisha-focused brew bar) at La Cosecha in late August or early September, will initially outsource roasting to a U.S. friend until they secure a local facility, and will focus food offerings at La Cosecha mostly on pastries (with the possibility of items like Castrellon’s favorite “wa-ssant” if space allows)." - Gabe Hiatt