2025 has certainly been one for the books. Lots of unusual market activity, logistical delays left and right, tariffs…the list goes on. As an industry, our resiliency has definitely been put to the test, but we’ve proven once again that we are able to adapt with the times and press onward. However, customers are looking to their local roasters now more than ever for added value. They’re asking you a variety of questions, from tariff insight to (the much more welcomed) help choosing the perfect holiday gift. Since we’ve written about tariffs a few times now, we figured it’s time to touch on the latter! We’ve pulled together our favorite holiday coffee blend ideas and single origin offerings to inspire your winter lineup.
Holiday Coffee Offerings: Single Origin
When it comes to piecing together your holiday offerings, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, what do your customers most gravitate toward? This is a bit of a moving target from year to year, so take some time to review your sales for any standouts. Then, you can look through some like-offerings to bring in something that’s a little different, yet still holds broad appeal, that is more likely to sell out by the end of the holiday season. Here are some holiday coffee ideas!
Dark Roast
If customers like Sumatra, try offering Papua New Guinea for a limited time.
Coffees from PNG showcase the best parts of both wet-hulled and washed profiles. Because these coffees are grown in a similar terroir as others from Indonesia/Oceania, there are some inherently earthy notes present in the cup. That being said, they are washed, so the cup profile has a bit more clarity and shines with notes of baked apple, dried fig, and other syrupy fruit notes.
These coffees are also fairly limited by seasonality, so they are great for the holiday season. This provides a great opportunity to create new demand from your customers every year, setting you up for success down the line.
Medium Roast
If customers like Organic Nicaragua, try offering Organic Bolivia for a limited time.
The coffees we’ve been bringing in from APROCAFE are beyond stellar. They have lots of malic acid notes paired with rich tones of brown sugar and dark honey. These tones are similar to those in most Nicaraguan offerings, but they’re a bit sweeter in Bolivians.
Similar to the PNG, these are relatively limited by the nature of seasonality. There’s a good opportunity to build demand that will set you up for years to come.
Light Roast
If customers like Ethiopia, try offering Kenya for a limited time.
Coffees from Eastern Africa typically share one common trait: bright acidity. Kenyan coffees fall into that commonality spectacularly, shining with some of the brightest cups out there.
These coffees are available throughout most of the year, which is nice. Kenyan coffees are also extremely versatile.
Holiday Coffee Offerings: Blends
Another aspect to consider: budget. Times have changed, and not everyone is able to spend $20-$30 for a (delicious and exclusive) bag of coffee. With this reality, it’s important to have options listed at a slightly lower price point, which brings us to blends.
Of course, we’ve discussed holiday coffee blend ideas in our blog posts for years. We consistently revisit them though because, well, they never go out of style! Blends are a reliable way to offer your customers good coffee without a high asking price. They also let you flex your creative muscle through recipe creation and clever names. Here are some solid coffee blend ideas for this holiday season that we’re excited about!
Dark Roast Coffee Blend
65% Sumatra Takengon GR1 DP PT Putra Gayo + 35% Organic Honduras COMSA Royal Reserva Natural
This blend has a super-rich profile, highlighting the dark chocolate notes of the Sumatran, which create a syrupy base for the berry-like notes of the natural to bounce off of. All in all, the takeaway note from this blend is dark chocolate-covered blueberries.
Medium Roast Coffee Blend
50% Nicaragua Segovia + 25% Colombia Santa Maria + 25% Ethiopia Natural Sidamo Guji GR3
This is a classic blend, taking something from each component to make something special. The Nicaraguan acts as a milk chocolate-forward base, while the Santa Maria adds a pop of acidity. With a touch of a dried strawberry-type note from the natural, these coffees combine for a simple, but effective blend.
Light Roast Coffee Blend
50% Guatemala SHB E/P + 50% Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Gelana Abaya G2
Without question, this is simplest, yet most impactful blend we could think of. The Guatemalan acts as a chocolate/almondy base, while the washed Ethiopian provides a nice punch of acidity and florality to the cup.
All of the aforementioned blends utilize a mix of low and mid-priced offerings. This helps when you want to offer your customers something unique and special that also fits into their budgets.
Final Thoughts
Just as we got you through this year, we’ve got you covered for 2026 as well. Contact your trader to learn more about fresh crop offerings or potential limited time coffees that you could use for your holiday menu!
