NICARAGUA | MARTHA ALVIR | RED CATUAI | NATURAL

Martha and Ana Alvir left Nicaragua during the civil war in 1977, but their connection to home remained. When their father passed down the family farms, Bethania and Hortensias, in 2013, the sisters saw an opportunity to reconnect with their roots and build something lasting.

They began moving away from a focus on high-yield Catimor, gradually introducing varieties such as Catuai, Parainema, Maracaturra, Gesha and Java. They also established Cafetos de Segovia, creating a processing mill that could serve both their own farms and neighbouring growers.

This Red Catuai comes from Finca Bethania, where the combination of native shade, careful cultivation and slow natural processing reflects that longer-term commitment to quality. It is a coffee shaped not only by its growing conditions, but by two sisters who chose to return and invest in the place they still call home.

Ripe Red Catuai cherries are hand-picked and floated to remove unsuitable fruit. The whole cherries then undergo 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation before being dried slowly on raised beds for three to four weeks. This is a natural process, meaning the coffee remains inside the fruit during drying.

Martha and Ana Alvir have gradually replanted Finca Bethania with varieties selected for quality rather than simply yield. The working farm includes 50 hectares of agroforestry, alongside a protected 10-hectare forest reserve. Coffee is grown under native shade trees, supporting biodiversity.

Their processing mill handles their own coffee and supports other growers nearby. It employs seven full-time staff throughout the year and up to sixty during harvest, helping create employment and retain value within the local community.