Counter Culture Coffee is a specialty coffee roaster dedicated to quality, sustainability, and radical transparency throughout its supply chain. By fostering long-term relationships with farmers and investing in educational initiatives, they aim to create a more equitable coffee industry. They operate as a national wholesale and direct-to-consumer brand with a focus on rigorous roasting standards.
Corporate ownership disclosure
Counter Culture Coffee (New Mexico Presence) is owned by Fairwave Holdings
Counter Culture Coffee is an independent, employee-owned company.
Ultimate owner: a mid-size coffee group
Ownership is disclosed when documented. Corporate parents can shape sourcing and independence claims. Public sources were researched as of 2026-10-26.
Counter Culture Coffee is an independent, employee-owned company.
Founded
1995
Roasting
Reported to roast in-house.
What it's known for
Counter Culture is widely recognized for its pioneering commitment to coffee transparency, publishing annual reports that detail pricing and sourcing practices. They are also highly regarded for their rigorous coffee education programs and long-term, sustainable partnerships with producers.
Sourcing countries
Ethiopia · Colombia · Honduras · Kenya · Guatemala · Peru · Burundi · Rwanda
Farm-level sourcing
The company maintains a high level of transparency by publishing detailed information about the specific farms and producers behind their coffees. They prioritize long-term relationships, with a significant majority of their coffee sourced from producers they have worked with for five or more years. Their offerings include both distinct single-origin selections and carefully curated blends.
Notable coffees
— Idido
— Finca Pashapa
— Big Trouble
— Forty-Six
— Fast Forward
In the news
Recent news and media coverage about Counter Culture Coffee (New Mexico Presence), as documented by outside outlets. We link to the original reporting and do not rewrite or endorse it.
Counter Culture Coffee has selected the agency The Variable as its media agency of record to help scale its national impact. The partnership focuses on leveraging the brand's existing wholesale and retail community through strategic measurement and a user-generated content program.
Research disclosure — this profile was compiled from public online sources on 2026-10-26. This company overview is not a tasting review. Original tasting reviews are labeled separately when they exist. Ownership, roasting and sourcing details are attributed to documented sources. While the brand's commitment to transparency is well-documented, I could not verify the specific current ownership percentage held by employees versus founders.
Your coffee interests. Every section.
Learn something new, follow the people behind your cup, or explore by flavor and tags.
