The Future - Watermelon Margarita

The Future has been a beloved staple on our year-round menu for quite awhile now. With it, we have been able to showcase excellence in processing techniques, particularly in regard to anaerobic and co-fermentation endeavors. Our goal with each of these unique blends is to elevate flavor as the guiding principle for each creation.

HOW WE GOT HERE | We know that many of you spent the spring breaks of your youth on perfectly respectable family trips to perfectly normal destinations. But there are some of us—and one copywriter in particular—who are well-versed in navigating the chaotic waters of Florida Panhandle Spring Break culture. In this microcosm of time and space, summer temporarily descends upon the middle of March, planting itself firmly on a Florida beach—and right across the street from a Wings souvenir shop. Everyone is sunburned. There’s sand everywhere. And everything tastes vaguely salty.

Well, except for the drinks. The drinks are sweet and fruity and (usually) frozen—a trio of characteristics capable of masking the presence of an astonishing amount of booze, for better or worse. And perhaps no such concoction did so better than the watermelon margarita, a sweet and refreshing riff on the classic tequila-based sour. Bursting with watermelon and sweetened with agave, a good watermelon margarita balances sweetness with complex citrus acidity, rendering it both irresistible and dangerous. Now, we won’t pretend that the frozen version served at crab shacks all over the panhandle actually achieved this delicate balance, although that wasn’t really the point. 

It’s that play between fruit, complex citrus, and sweetness that really got us thinking: the flavors found in this nuanced cocktail would make for a great cup of coffee.

HOW WE DID IT | To re-imagine this spring break staple in caffeinated form, we sought out coffees that were fruit-forward and funky, expressive, and sweet. Two watermelon co-ferments were an obvious choice, and Sebastian Ramirez’s lemongrass co-ferment (called IPA) provided the booziness necessary to conjure up margarita vibes. Huver Castillo’s yeast-innoculated Gesha lot rounds out the profile, contributing aromatics, complex citrus, and honey-like sweetness to the blend:

Rodrigo Sánchez - Watermelon (Quindío, Colombia)

Brayan Alvear (Huila, Colombia)

Rodrigo Sánchez - IPA (Quindío, Colombia)

Huver Castillo - Anaerobic Honey Gesha (Nariño, Colombia)

HOW IT TASTES | Funky and fun-loving, this coffee embodies all those flavors we once hoped to find at the bottom of a giant, plastic Hurricane glass: watermelon, complex citrus, and agave-like sweetness. It’s expressive and tropical, offering additional fruit vibes like mango candy. Honestly, it’s on the louder side of the flavor spectrum, and some may find it a tad bit unhinged – just like a spring break spent in the panhandle.

Origin | Quindío, Colombia | Huila, Colombia | Nariño, Colombia

Producers | Sebastiàn Ramirez | Brayan Alvear | Huver Castillo

Process | advanced

Variety | various

"The Future - Watermelon Margarita" represents a collaborative effort between producers Sebastiàn Ramirez, Brayan Alvear, and Huver Castillo, showcasing the diverse potential of Colombia · Quindío, Huila, Nariño. Roasted by Black & White Coffee Roasters, this selection highlights the impact of advanced processing techniques on the final cup profile. While traditional washed coffees often emphasize clean acidity, experimental processing methods are increasingly used to push the boundaries of flavor, frequently resulting in vibrant, candy-like sweetness and unconventional fruit notes.

When evaluating such distinct profiles, tasters often find it helpful to reference the flavor wheel to categorize the interplay between the watermelon, complex citrus, agave-like sweetness, and mango candy notes identified by the roaster. By utilizing innovative fermentation and drying protocols, these producers demonstrate how meticulous post-harvest handling can transform the sensory experience, moving beyond standard regional expectations to create a truly unique expression of Colombian coffee.