Crimson Cup Releases Kinini AA Craft Coffee from Rwanda

Coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea is proud to introduce Kinini AA craft coffee from Rwanda. Grown at 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level in the Rulindo District, this fully washed Bourbon coffee has tasting notes of blackberry, dragon fruit, and marshmallow.

“Kinini” means, literally, ‘this big thing right here,’” said Crimson Cup Sustainability Director Brandon Bir. “It’s a collaboration of cooperatives that pools their efforts to improve their coffee lots. About 85 percent of the members are women.” The roaster met the Kinini cooperatives through the International Women’s Coffee Alliance. The organization’s mission is to empower women in the international coffee community to achieve meaningful and sustainable lives, and to encourage and recognize the participation of women in all aspects of the coffee industry. Headquartered in Kinini town, the cooperatives and their washing station collect from the neighboring villages of Tumba and Mageragere. At the washing station, workers ferment the beans for 24 to 36 hours, then dry them on beds using shade nets and rain tarps.

“To understand how a group can produce 87-point coffee in their first year of production, you must understand the people behind the coffee,” he added. “Dreamers. That’s what everyone called Jacquie Turner and Malcolm Clear when they wanted to start a school for children in Eastern Rwanda 10 years ago.” Driven by the desire to help the children of the genocide, they made that dream a reality. Later, they turned their hands to creating economic sustainability through coffee.

Crimson Cup Kinini AA coffee is available for a limited time on the Crimson Cup website and at the Crimson Cup coffee shops in Columbus, Tallmadge, and West Chester, Ohio.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year. Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup – driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.

Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open a coffee shop in their communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into how much it costs to open a coffee shop.

Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store.

To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com.