This coffee is grown on the fertile slopes of the Cordillera del Bálsamo in El Salvador by the Borgonovo-Pohl family at over 1,200 meters altitude. The cherries are hand-picked at full maturity and processed at Beneficio San Carlos using the natural method, where whole fruits are slowly sun-dried on parihuelas with precise alternation of shade and light. The family's coffee history began in the 1950s when Mauricio Borgonovo left Monza, Italy, and founded Finca San Carlos, now in its third generation of family stewardship.
What began in 2014 as Le Pista Cafe Mobile, a bicycle powered coffee cart created by Maxime Richard, has grown into a Montreal roastery with three brick and mortar locations. The first permanent cafe opened on Beaubien Street in 2016, and roasting now takes place on a Loring S15 Falcon at the Rue Masson location. Cafe Pista maintains a farm to table mentality, building direct relationships with producers to ensure quality and traceability from origin to cup. In a uniquely Montreal twist, select locations transform into Vin Public wine bars on Thursday and Friday evenings, blending coffee culture with the city's vibrant social scene.
