Bustelo Coffee is said to have been originally harvested in Cuba in the years before the revolution. Since then, because the entire coffee industry has been run by the Cuban government, the beans are now harvested and roasted in other countries, including Puerto Rico. Most of their coffee is made with a blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee beans from Central America. Café Bustelo does not indicate the real origin of the beans on its packaging or website.
Bustelo took advantage of an existing community and turned it into a strong and identifiable marketing demographic. He became known for his espresso coffee and became one of the most prominent names in the Latino coffee community. While Café Bustelo is marketed as a Latin-inspired coffee, it mostly has its roots in the United States. If you think your current coffee seems a little weak or you simply want to improve your coffee level, then Bustelo Coffee might be the right choice for you.
Today, Bustelo Coffee is roasted and packaged by Rowland Coffee Roasters, from Miami, Florida, which fits perfectly with the large Cuban population of Miami. Almost a century ago, a young and ambitious Gregorio Bustelo arrived in East Harlem, New York, from Spain. When Gregorio Bustelo arrived in East Harlem in the late 1920s, he saw an opportunity to serve the immigrant population from Spanish-speaking countries in the area. Espresso division of Rowland Coffee Roasters, a Miami-based company owned by Cuban immigrants whose family had been in the coffee business for centuries.
While its distribution has grown significantly over the years, Café Bustelo coffee is still coveted by Café Bustelo loyalists today. You can also add some steamed milk to your Café Bustelo beer and turn it into a Cuban-inspired Cortadito. The red and yellow can of Café Bustelo is to hipster cuisine what Heinz ketchup bottles are to American diners. Finely ground coffee helps to extract as much flavor as possible and creates a very pleasant dark roasted coffee.
Using a secret blend of coffee beans, Gregorio crafted the beloved, rich flavors that consumers now recognize as Café Bustelo, an authentically Latin espresso style coffee. At the time of the acquisition, Time referred to Café Bustelo as a “Cuban coffee brand from Miami with little national recognition.” However, if intense coffee isn't your thing and you prefer a more subtle flavor, you might want to try brands like Black Powder Coffee and our own brand Meadow Ridge Coffee.
