Ethical Coffee for Everyday Adventure

TRAILHEAD COFFEE ROASTERS: ETHICAL COFFEE FOR EVERYDAY ADVENTURE

This November, we’re excited to spotlight a roaster whose coffee is as thoughtful as it is delicious: Trailhead Coffee Roasters out of Portland, Oregon. For more than a decade, Trailhead has been quietly building a company around ethical sourcing, small-batch roasting, and a love of being outside with a really good cup of coffee.

What began as one person’s leap of faith away from corporate work has grown into a roastery that champions women farmers, delivers coffee by cargo bike, and creates blends meant to be enjoyed on the trail as much as at the kitchen table. And at the center of our collaboration is one of their most beloved offerings: their Guatemala Medium Roast.

LEAVING CORPORATE LIFE FOR COFFEE

Trailhead Coffee Roasters started with a simple but risky decision. As the founder explains,

“I was doing uninspired corporate work that paid well but didn’t fuel any passion. I was/am obsessed with coffee and was home roasting and made a daring change to abandon the corporate world to start a coffee business. I often get myself into trouble with the attitude, ‘How hard could it be?’”

That mix of curiosity and courage shaped Trailhead from the beginning. Rather than chasing trends or building a massive operation, the focus has always been on coffee that feels intentional—coffee that tastes great, supports people, and fits naturally into a life lived outdoors.

Operating out of the restored Glass Lab Building in Portland came with its own set of challenges, especially for a roaster committed to doing things the right way. One of their core ethical priorities is sustainability, and that shaped even the most practical parts of the business.

“We dug deep by delivering coffee by cargo bicycle to local cafés and markets in all weather. Another hurdle is cost. Ethically sourced coffee can be expensive and many are not willing to pay a premium.”

Over time, the bike got an upgrade, but the commitment stayed the same.

“Perhaps the biggest evolution is acquiring an electric cargo bicycle. This turns a big day of hard riding into a much easier one. Every so often I’ll do deliveries on the OG no-electicicty cargo bike to remind myself of the suffering fun times. On the electric, I’ll do 19 mph up any hill. On the original, I’ve recorded a brutally slow 4 mph on the steepest hills. Downhill though… momentum and speed make for a fun ride.”

Trailhead’s journey has been shaped by the Portland coffee community as well. Rather than competition, they’ve found support.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie among PDX coffee community members. It’s more collaboration than competition. It’s us vs the big companies and we do a lot to help each other out.”

CENTERING WOMEN AT THE ROOT OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Trailhead’s coffee menu looks simple on the surface, but behind each bag is a sourcing philosophy that’s both focused and deeply relational. Much of their coffee comes through farms that are owned and operated by women.

“Our flagship coffees come from the Café Femenino organization where the owners of the coffee farms are women. We have other direct family farm relationships for some truly magnificent coffees. Meeting, for example, a Café Femenino farmer from Peru and celebrating our mutual success is quite a moving experience and is why I do it.”

The decision to prioritize women producers is intentional and grounded in the realities of many coffee-growing regions.

“In coffee growing regions, women often have little power or agency. Working with women in coffee empowers them and changes their future. Empowering women helps their families which in turn helps the communities and everything just spirals upward.”

Relationships often start in simple, human ways.

“It’s quite simple: farmers find us. Sometimes they simply walk in our door and hold out their hand in greeting. We chat for a while, gather coffee samples and if the coffee flavors, ethics and sustainability elements add up, we begin a coffee relationship.”

For Trailhead, commerce is a way to create shared success, not just a transaction.

ROASTING TO “UNCOVER THE MAGIC”

Trailhead’s roasting philosophy is rooted in listening to the coffee itself. The goal isn’t to force a style, but to reveal what’s already there.

“Like all great ingredients, the coffee informs us. Our job is to uncover the magic already within the bean. We dwell a fair bit in a medium roast as that tends to leave the nuance and beauty of the bean while bringing it dark enough to be robustly satisfying coffee.”

Sometimes, that process leads them in unexpected directions.

“Pink Bourbon - We chased so many test roasts before going super light on this coffee. In most cases, bringing a coffee this light will be underdeveloped and vegetal tasting with a decided ‘not really done’ kind of vibe. Meanwhile, the ultra-fermented Pink Bourbon yields amazing fruity flavors with ‘aroma of fallen apples on warm grass’ as the signature note. Truly amazing.”

On the other end of the spectrum is their darker Campfire Roast:

“We have a Cafe Femenino Peru that is the only coffee we’ve found that tolerates going dark without turning to ashy awfulness. This coffee is sweet, deep dark chocolate with the slightest hint of smoke, like a good mescal.”

Small-batch roasting is key to keeping quality tight and freshness high.

“Small scale roasting allows us to roast-to-order versus doing massive batches that sit and age on the shelf.”

Dialing in a roast is equal parts craft and repetition.

“The roast profile is everything. It’s a simple formula really. First, make a best guess on what the roast should be and then roast a bit darker and a bit lighter. Whichever coffee tastes best becomes the new center of the test with one lighter and one darker. Once the middle roast wins the day, that locks in how light/dark we take the coffee. Then we play with timing of heat and other variables to see if we can tease out more magic following the same rules. Test-Taste-Repeat.”

COFFEE FOR THE TRAIL AND THE KITCHEN TABLE

“Brewing outdoors is usually less precise than being inside with a scale and possibly a digital kettle set to an exact temperature. By using time off the boil as a proxy for a precise digital scale, the adventurer can get really great results.”

Cold weather adds another layer of complexity, especially when you really need that cup to hit.

“The cold weather option makes sure that the coffee ends up being hot enough to be properly enjoyed. A slower method may result in lukewarm coffee which is appalling when you’re standing outside in the rain/snow and needing both heat and joy from that cup.”

That’s where the gear comes in.

“The VSSL is actually a bit of a game changer here. With a direct connection between the pour over and the cup, all of it insulated, a hot cup is guaranteed. This is AWESOME.”

At home, the ritual is just as important—maybe even more so. Asked about a go-to method for the Guatemala roast, the answer is delightfully specific:

“Always pour-over. I love everything about the ritual,” they say. “Kettle on, dogs fed and petted, beans ground, coffee blooming—and then a tray with two warm cups and pastries so I can sneak away to share that first cup with my partner.”

It’s a window into the kind of experience Trailhead wants their coffee to support: warm, thoughtful, and shared.

SPOTLIGHT ON GUATEMALA: A CROWD-FAVORITE ROAST

For our November promotion, Trailhead chose a coffee that’s been with them since the early days: their Guatemala Medium Roast, sourced from women farmers in Huehuetenango.

“We’ve had this coffee since the beginning and people, myself included, love it. It’s the most reliably enjoyed coffee in our line up. It’s not too light or too dark for nearly any palette.”

Flavor-wise, this is a comfort-forward, approachable cup:

“Our flavor notes are: chocolate, almond & pecan. It’s just the right things in a coffee… a nutty flavor with chocolate overtones…perfect.”

The beans are grown by members of ASOBAGRI, a women-led cooperative connected to Café Femenino. For Trailhead, that story gives the coffee a deeper meaning.

“While all of our coffees have a compelling ethical story behind them, the Cafe Femenino farmers who grow and harvest this amazing coffee do amazing work. While one might say that we help them by selecting their coffees. I see it differently: I am honored to be able to work with these people and their product such that it is me who is lucky enough to work with them.”

Even the packaging ties back to Trailhead’s core values and daily life.

“The packaging/branding speaks to the ritual of coffee and where it is best enjoyed. Being outside and drinking coffee is, for me, the best moment there is…and the branding reflects that. The design has evolved to include my doggo, ‘Tonx the trail dog’ as she is always with me adventuring.”

Tonx isn’t just a mascot; she’s an actual trail partner.

“Many times while hiking on complex trail systems, I’ll just have Tonx lead the way and she navigates like a boss. It’s really much nicer than pulling out the trail map app on a phone all the time. And if my battery runs out, having Tonx as an adventure partner means I’m in good hands and having a great time.”

Trailhead Coffee Roasters brings together so many of the things we care about: thoughtful craft, ethical sourcing, love for the outdoors, and coffee that simply tastes great. Their Guatemala Medium Roast—chocolatey, nutty, and endlessly approachable—is a reflection of that entire philosophy in a single cup.

To celebrate our collaboration this November, we’re offering a free bag of Trailhead’s Guatemala Medium Roast with qualifying orders on our site, from now through 11/21 or while supplies last. It’s a chance to experience a coffee that supports women farmers, honors intentional roasting, and was designed to be enjoyed wherever your trail leads—whether that’s a misty ridgeline at sunrise or your favorite mug at the kitchen table.

Slow down. Drink up. And raise a cup with Trailhead Coffee Roasters.