Bold & brewed: Indian brands for your local, artisanal coffee fix

From cold brew and espresso to filtered or French Press, there are plenty of ways to savour your cup of coffee.

But every true coffee connoisseur would know that the beans behind every coffee pour can make a world of a difference to its flavour. As more and more Indians begin to appreciate the value of high-quality, artisanal coffee beans, several homegrown brands have entered the market to meet the rising demand.

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Although India has been exporting local coffee for decades, Indian roasteries are now also experimenting with new brews, blends and flavour profiles for the local buyers.

Here are 5 Indian artisanal coffee brands that should be on your radar:

Araku Coffee

Produced and processed by Adivasi farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Araku Coffee sells 100% organic beans as well as biodegradable and compostable vegetable capsules. Araku’s roast even won the honourable Prix Epicures gold medal in Paris in 2018 amid heavy competition from other global blends.

Black Baza Coffee

Do you want your cuppa to be responsibly sourced? Black Baza Coffee claims their coffee is 100 per cent traceable back to the farm. Focussing on conservation, the brand is also making grassroots efforts to protect coffee growers and the environment.

Halli Berri

With its roots deep in the jungle canopies of the western ghats, the Halli Berri coffee estate is a family business going back six generations. You can buy sustainable, shade-grown 100% Arabica coffee from Halli Berri or spend some time at one of the boutique cottages on the sprawling estate.

Ainmane Coffee

With one of the world’s most expensive Civet coffee on the menu, Ainmane’s range of speciality coffees boasts of a validation from the Coffee Board of India. Based in Coorg, Ainmane also sells unique varieties like Monsooned Malabar, Robusta of Coorg among others.

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