This washed Sidra from Hacienda La Papaya in Ecuador is cultivated at about 2,000 meters above sea level. It comes from Juan Peña’s 11-hectare farm and is processed by depulping, fermenting for 15 hours in water, followed by thorough rinsing and drying on raised beds for 10–18 days. Flavor notes include pear, apple, pineapple, stone fruit, ginger, and botanicals.
Origin
Ecuador
Flavor Notes
Pear, Apple, Pineapple, Ginger, Botanicals, Stone Fruit
Rebecca Grossman and Lucas Smith founded Ilse in 2019, starting with a thousand dollars and a rented roaster in Stamford before building out their own facility in a converted mechanic's garage in North Canaan. The approach is quality-driven: light roasts, single-producer microlots, and a commitment to buying entire harvests from the same farms year after year, some relationships now stretch back to the beginning. Pricing is transparent; each bag lists what the producer was paid, the FOB price, and Ilse's cost. Sourcing focuses on Central and South America and East Africa, with Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Ethiopia appearing regularly.
