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We went to bed Tuesday night ready to implement drastic changes we planned for our business. When we woke up in the morning on Wednesday, everything changed. We made the heartbreaking decision to lay off a significant portion of our staff including baristas, bakers, and roasters. These are people we see every day, who we consider friends and extended family. The hope is that we can hold out this storm and survive long enough to be able to bring them back onboard.

As a woman in the highest employable role at Cartel, I was late to fully understand that women in influential positions who are high earners is not an example of feminism at work; that we have to distinguish between merely “winning” a powerful role in a patriarchal society and using that role to disrupt the system. “Winning" isn't enough. In fact, if we’re inattentive, it serves to continue the pattern of holding other women back.

Arroz con pollo, fried yuca, and warm sugar cane tea—a traditional meal in Latin America and one that I would see many variations of in the coming week. Juan, Pedro, and I sat at the dimly lit table, where Doña Maria had bussed our plates moments ago. I thanked her in my embarrassing middle-school level Spanish and she nodded with a grin. Maria Rosa Oidor owns and runs her coffee farm Los Nogales with her husband Antonio Pillimué. Having just turned 60, Doña Maria is an impressive symbol of women in coffee, hiking up mountains daily to organize and direct farm operations.

Cartel got weird on Valentine's Day this year. We sat down with Gertrude and Silas who explain how their love began with Black Market Blend Forty-Eight.

James Hoffman is a seasoned coffee professional.  From theorist to barista, he has spent years developing thoughts and opinions, testing them with conversation and practical analysis.

There are countless ways to brew the coffee you love at home. Each brewing method will bring out different qualities and nuances of a respective bean. We've listed a few of the methods that we use here at Cartel, along with specific recipes below.