Alejandra Muñoz is a young woman from Bruselas, Pitalito, nestled in the southeastern mountains of Huila, Colombia. At 26, she is proud of her budding journey in the coffee industry.

Growing up in a region dominated by coffee production, Alejandra's path was different at first. Her father, a carpenter, taught her the fundamentals of his trade—skills that would prove valuable throughout her life. She spent her youth focused on studies and helping her mother with household duties.

At 16, she met Jhonatan Gasca, a well-known coffee producer from the Zarza farm, who would become her husband. The arrival of their first child, Thiago, solidified their decision to build their life in Bruselas.

During challenging times, the couple started selling hamburgers to friends and family. Alejandra recalls that her early burgers were too salty, but the kindness of their customers encouraged her to refine her recipe and eventually open a small fast-food restaurant.

In their small town of Bruselas, the community rallied behind the young couple, drawn both to their entrepreneurial spirit and Alejandra's dedication to creating quality food with love.

Meanwhile, Jhonatan and his brother began developing their parents' farm. Though coffee was already growing there, they envisioned something greater—a venture that could benefit the whole family while honouring their parents' traditions. Despite setbacks, their determination to grow kept them experimenting and moving forward.

As the coffee farm flourished, Alejandra faced health challenges from her restaurant work, ultimately leading her to close the business. Though letting go of her independent venture was difficult, she found a new direction supporting Jhonatan at the farm. "What little I have learned I owe it to my husband who is truly passionate about coffee and has given me the confidence to enter this industry, that little by little I begin to fall in love."

This coffee showcases meticulous processing. After harvest, the ripe cherries rest for 24 hours to begin fermentation before undergoing a 24-hour anoxic fermentation in plastic bags. The seeds are then de-pulped and undergo a second 36-hour anoxic fermentation. A hot water wash—known as a "thermal shock"—halts microbial activity before a final spring water rinse. The coffee is then dried carefully over eight days, with four daily rotations to ensure even drying.

The Zarza farm spans more than 6 hectares at 1,540 meters above sea level in the municipality of Pitalito. They cultivate a selection of coffee varieties and have recently focused on producing specialty coffees.

With a foundation built on family values, respect, and passion for coffee production, the Zarza farm continues to grow and establish itself as a producer of quality coffees. While they acknowledge there is still much to achieve, they take great pride in the value of their coffee.

“Women have always been fundamental in the journey that coffee follows from the bean to the cup. Women are a catalyst for change and are essential for coffee farming communities to thrive. Empowering them at the individual, household and community levels strengthens the impact we have with Cata Export. We believe that gender equality benefits us all. For this reason, promoting the empowerment of women is one of the principles of our program and is sustained in all our work, in our three key areas of intervention.”

Pink Bourbon, or Bourbon Rosado, is characterized by its beautiful pink-coloured cherries. Originally thought to be a spontaneous cross between red and yellow Bourbon, genetic testing has revealed it's actually a descendant of an Ethiopian landrace variety—not Bourbon, despite its name. First spotted in Colombia, the variety's history is shrouded in mystery. One can only speculate how seeds from Ethiopia came to grow there. The cup profile is excellent and highly complex, typically featuring pronounced acidity and floral notes.

The washed process was designed to minimize the risk of off-flavours caused by uncontrolled fermentation during the natural process. Cherries are typically sorted using a flotation tank, where under-ripe or defective fruits float to the top and can be removed. The remaining cherries are then pulped and left in a tank to ferment until the sticky fruit mucilage is soft enough to be washed off the parchment—a paper-like layer surrounding the seed.

The design and cleanliness of the tanks are crucial, and the degree and speed of fermentation depend on various factors. These include the amount of fruit remaining, the presence of bacteria and yeasts, whether the tank is filled with water, and the environmental conditions.

Once the mucilage has sufficiently degraded, it's washed away with water. The remaining parchment coffee, as it's commonly called, is then dried until it reaches a safe moisture content. The bacteria-rich and sugary water used in the process must be treated carefully, as it can cause algae blooms if it enters streams and rivers.

In situations where large amounts of coffee are processed in bulk, such as in Ethiopia, some operations have found it economical to use a mechanical demucilager. This device removes all the fruit from the parchment with minimal water, bypassing the fermentation stage entirely. However, some believe this leads to a reduction in cup quality, as many flavour precursors are created through fermentation.