The Best Coffee in Mexico

Mexico is one of the world’s largest coffee producers, with a significant portion of its population being everyday coffee drinkers. The country grows coffee in limited quantities and only in Hawaii, while Mexico is one of the top 10 globally, renowned for the quality of its beans. Most of its exports are earmarked for its neighbors to the north, the U.S. and Canada. Starbucks, for example, relies on Latin American sources for most of its coffee, including countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Mexico’s three great coffee-growing regions are Veracruz, Chiapas, and Oaxaca, which produce about 80% of the country’s annual output. Other states deserve mention, particularly Puebla, whose coffees have fared well in recent blind-tasting tests for the Cup of Excellence ratings. Coffee is also grown in lesser quantities in Colima, Estado de México, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Morelos, Nayarit, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Tabasco.

Mexico’s coffee producers are overwhelmingly from Indigenous populations (85% of all growers, representing 30 groups), and their coffees are labeled as “cafe de altura” (high-grown) due to the cooler temperatures associated with higher altitudes. The mountains of Oaxaca are home to small ‘fincas’ which produce the overwhelming majority of Mexican coffee.

Veracruz is the oldest coffee-growing region in Mexico, with a history dating back to 1795. It is also the most forward-thinking regarding new technologies. Coffees high-grown in fertile volcanic soil from 1100 to 1600 meters above sea level in Veracruz’s tropical humidity emerge bold yet aromatic, with a sophisticated flavor palette. Coatepec is the source of some of the best of these “altura” coffees, sought-after for its Arabica beans’ sweet flavor and balanced acidity.

Chiapas has the most coffee-growing acreage in Mexico, producing about 41% of the national total. Volcanic soils and altitudes between 1,300 and 1,700 meters contribute to the region’s distinctively rich and nutty flavor profile. Chiapas Turquesa, a popular sub-variety, is notable for its bigger-than-average beans and buttery smooth drinkability.

Pluma Hidalgo may be the most famous coffee bean in Mexico, an evolution of a 19th-century form of Typica, a mother strain of Arabica. Local growers still favor a traditional approach for their plants, which flourish between 900 and 1,650 meters above sea level in shaded cloud forests.

To buy the best Mexican coffee, one can support Mexican coffee growers by buying directly from their cooperatives, such as Boicafé, CESMACH, and SICOBI. Additionally, visiting local Mexican coffee shops and asking where they source their beans can help find premium Mexican coffee.

The Alliance for Coffee Excellence’s “Cup of Excellence” ratings are for specialty coffee, similar to Robert Parker’s ratings for wine. México saw several coffees score above 90 based on the 2024 jury results, including offerings from farms and cooperatives in Chiapas, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Veracruz.

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