2024 Year in Review

2024 was an unforgettable year for us at Alma Coffee, filled with moments that touched our hearts and strengthened our mission. We’re overjoyed to reflect on everything we’ve accomplished, and we can’t wait to share some of the highlights that made this year so incredibly meaningful. Each of these moments is a testament to the love, support, and belief you’ve shown us—thank you for being such an important part of our journey!

 

JANUARY 

First Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee Release 

The Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee release was a hit! We were floored by the response to this release! We sold out of the roast in LESS THAN 24 HOURS!! Never in our 6 years of business have we seen such an incredible response to a roast. The Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee takes some time, but the wait is worth it. Sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know when our new Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee releases.   

 

Training lab and new tiles on the bar 

In January, the training lab in the back of the roastery was completely rebuilt. Having a training lab with space to do dishes, make syrups, and store our various brewing needs has been a dream for us since we opened the café back in 2020. We want to give a huge shoutout to everyone who helped us make our dream a reality:   

• Wood Craft South  
• Service Wise Electric 
• David Winn Plumbing 
• Southern Craft Remodeling 
• Beidler Interiors 
• Southern Air Pro 

After the hype of the training lab, we knew that we needed to add something else to the front of the house. We wanted to spruce up the place in a way that matched the training lab that we had worked so hard to build. Thus, the idea of tiling on the café bar was born. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the tiles are blue and white; an homage to our roots in Honduras. We wanted to find a subtle way to pay respect to our family farms in Honduras, and what better way to do so than with vibrant blue and white tiles? 

 

Company Pasta Party 

PARTYYYY! You know we love a good company party, and who doesn’t love pasta? To celebrate the team’s incredible work over the holiday season and the new year, we went to Vingenzo’s for a behind-the-scenes pasta-making party. We could not be more thankful to Chef Michael Bologna for giving us an unforgettable experience. Next time you visit downtown Woodstock, stop by Vingenzo’s for a dining experience you’ll never forget.  

 

FEBRUARY 

Good Grit Magazine Feature 

We were featured in Good Grit Magazine! This feature was in the works for 5 years, so we were excited to see the concept come to fruition. We are so thankful to our friends Emily and Clay Goswick for making this possible. Not only did they take all the stunning photos of our family farm, Finca Terrerito, shown in the article, but they also beautifully captured our story and the purpose behind what we do.  

 

Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation 

We were thrilled to share that we officially opened the school on our family farm in Honduras, Finca T! The vision for Escuela Rural Mixta Terrerito Matiak Foundation was born in 2023, and seeing it come to life has been a dream come true. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team and the Matiak Foundation, the school has just wrapped up its very first year! Dive into our story to learn more about the school’s incredible impact, our plans for the farm’s future, and the journey leading up to welcoming our first students.

 

MARCH 

Mujeres 

Every year we release Mujeres, translating to “women” in Spanish, to celebrate International Women’s Day! The roast varies from year to year to fit with the changing theme. With this year’s theme being “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion,” we wanted to create a roast that represented the diversity of our coffee. 

Our marketing manager, Ashley Elayne, created a label that represents this same theme. The label came in 7 different colors, so the label on your neighbor’s bag may have been pink while yours was green! This represents the fact that all women are unique and bring different attributes to the table. 

 

APRIL 

Solar Eclipse 

Did you get to see the Solar Eclipse this year? The next one won’t happen until 2044, so I hope you got the opportunity to take a look (with the approved glasses of course). As a team, we all took a quick little break to witness the eclipse. As we stepped outside, we were met with a darkness that matched the evening light. To really bask in the glory of the eclipse we all passed around our glasses and laid on the ground to get a direct look at what was happening. It wasn’t just the brew crew in awe either. We had some customers coming out and joining us in the wonder. While we didn’t get to see a “total eclipse” we all marveled at the partial solar eclipse.  

 

Farm Team Visit 

It is always such a pleasure when our friends from Honduras visit. The farm team came out to visit and see the fruition of their hard work at our family farm, Finca Terrerrito. It is so special to be able to show the farm team the direct impact that their work has.  

We had the privilege of taking the farm team out on a couple of excursions as a “thank you” to them for all of their hard work. First, we sent the team to the Georgia Aquarium. They were astonished, to say the least. Getting to see the breathtakingly massive fish and bask in their beauty was something that they had never experienced before.  

After the aquarium, the team bounced on over to State Farm Arena to catch an Atlanta Hawks game. With basketball growing in popularity in Honduras, this was an exciting venture for the team. Not only was the game captivating, but getting to see fans going crazy in the stands and celebrating with every basket made was something that they will never forget. We are so honored to have our farm team and to have been able to celebrate them on their visit.      

 

SCA 

After the festivities in Atlanta ended, the farm team, along with a few of our team members at Alma Coffee, loaded up and headed out to Chicago for the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association). At the SCA, we saw all of coffee’s newest advancements and were able to meet with the modern movers and shakers of coffee. Every year we learn something new at the SCA and this year was no different. As always, we are looking forward to attending again next year and learning what’s new in coffee for 2025. 

 

MAY 

Mother’s Day Roast 

You know what they say… “Mother deserves best,” and this year we were sure to provide just that. The Mother’s Day roast highlighted tasting notes of baker’s chocolate, black cherries, and brandy. This roast is made as a cold brew with a little bit of caramel cold foam… chef’s kiss! 

 

The Summer Menu 

The Summer Nostalgia menu was one of our most popular, and dare I say, most creative menus that we have released to date. With the help of the café team and our Marketing Manager, Ashley Elayne, we brought the late 90s and early 2000s back to life. Back to the time of yo-yos, Tamagotchis, and Lisa Frank sticker books. On the menu, we offered the: 

• Go Bananas! Latte 
• Strawberry Fields Latte 
• Cereal Milk Latte 
• Apricot Jasmine Tea Shaker 

 

Shepherd’s Men Memorial Day March 

In commemoration of the sacrifice those who have fought for our country have paid, we supported the Shepherd’s Men in their Memorial Day Tribute March. The men and women involved marched from Canton to Woodstock, stopping only by Alma Coffee to grab some much-needed refreshments and caffeination. We look forward to seeing them again in 2025. 

 

JUNE 

Bourbon Barrel Aged Release  

You know we had to release the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee again after the great success the first time around. We sold out in less than 24 hours…AGAIN! The love that you all have for the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee is unmatched, and we love it! 

 

Pickleball Party w/ Nat 

Pickleball is having its moment this year, and to celebrate that fact, we hosted a pickleball party! One of our regulars, Nat, came out and taught us all how to play and refereed a few games for us. Huge shoutout to Nat; his patience and teaching skills were what made the night so special for all of us. If you’re ever looking to learn Pickleball, Nat is your guy! 

 

JULY 

Our 6th Birthday 

Little known fact, the 4th of July and our birthday are on the same day! This year was our 6th birthday, and we had so much fun celebrating. We offered a Birthday Cake Latte crafted with our house-made cake batter syrup, topped with vanilla rosemary cold foam and birthday sprinkles. It was the celebration of the century! 

 

10k IG Followers 

We’re feeling like such influencers these days! 10K FOLLOWERS! It is so exciting to think about how far we have come since we started our little café and roastery in the woods 6 years ago. The love and support that we have received from our Alma Familia is unmatched. To everyone who has supported us in the past, present, or will in the future: THANK YOU! 

 

AUGUST 

Fall Menu release 

Cue the carousel music! The fair came to town this year at Alma Coffee! We hope you all got the opportunity to experience the magic of the County Fair with our Fall menu, including:  

• Pumpkin Spice (obviously) 
• Turtle  
• Spiced Apple Chai 
• Maple Honey Cinnamon 

 

SEPTEMBER 

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice 

In September, the much-anticipated sequel to the cult classic, Beetlejuice, finally came out in theaters. To celebrate this, we crafted some specialty lattes made with the strange and unusual in mind: 

• ‘Til Death: Iced Spicy Mocha with Vanilla Cinnamon Cold Foam
 
• It’s Showtime: Iced Matcha with Ube Cold Foam and Mocha Drizzle 

We hope you got the chance to stop by and that these Beetlejuice-inspired drinks made your millennium.  

 

Halloween drinks 

Things took a turn for the horrifying mid-September when the Alma Coffee County Fair was invaded by some of the movie’s scariest characters. Pennywise, The Grady Twins, and Ghostface all made a stop by the café and spook-ified the place. From mid-September to October 31st, we offered:   

• Cookies and Scream: a cookies & cream latte with cookie crumbles 
• The Losers Club Latte: a strawberry shortcake latte with strawberry drizzle 
• Come & Play Latte: a white mocha latte with blueberry cold foam 

 

Taste of Woodstock w/ Clay 

We had the honor of joining our dear friend and photographer, Clay Goswick, at the Taste of Woodstock to brew up some extraordinary coffee. We had such a great time helping Clay and providing something special for our community. Huge shoutout (again) to Clay! He shoots 99.9% of all our photos, so when we say, “If you’re looking for a photographer, Clay is your guy,” we mean it! 

 

OCTOBER 

Halloween 

Halloween at Alma Coffee is ALWAYS a good time! Something about the Alma Brew Crew, if you give us a reason to dress up, we’re going to take it! This year, we had all sorts of costumes ranging from Barbie to witches to Jessie from Breaking Bad. Talk about committing to the bit! 

 

Halloween Cups 

We know you guys love the Groundskeeper design drawn by our very own Marketing Manager, Ashley Elayne, so we had to do something special for Halloween with the design. All cups that were handed out during the Halloween week were branded with the Groundskeeper design.  

 

NOVEMBER 

Wicked Drink Release 

You know we had to do something to celebrate the ICONIC release of the hit Broadway musical turned movie, Wicked. For one week only, we offered up a taste of the Emerald City in the café. The wicked limited-edition lattes were: 

• Elphie’s Latte: Caramel latte topped with spiced apple cold foam and caramel
 
• Glinda’s Latte: Cotton Candy latte topped with cotton candy cold foam and pink sprinkles 

 

Oatnog 

Now you know it wouldn’t be the holidays without our iconic Oatnog latte. The fan-favorite latte is made with Chobani Oatnog, maple syrup, and espresso. What could be better to ring in the holiday season? 

Black Friday sale 

Every year, we run a HUGE sale during the week of Black Friday, and every year we are astonished by the support of our community during the week. This sale includes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. We love any chance to celebrate our incredible customers, and the Black Friday sale is just one of the ways we do so every year! You guys blew it out of the water this year. I guess BOGO 50% off all coffee is too hard to pass up, especially when shopping for holiday gifts!  

 

DECEMBER 

Cozy Roast 

How comfy and COZY are we?!?! Our holiday roast, Cozy, made its debut the week of Black Friday and has been an absolute “sleigh.” With tasting notes of fruitcake, molasses, and cloves, this roast is perfect for sipping by the fire after the chaos of opening gifts.  

 

Bourbon Barrel Aged Release 3 

You know we had to bring it back just one more time before 2025, and once again, y’all sold us out! The Bourbon Barrel-Aged Coffee has been a hit every time we’ve released it! To stay up to date with the next drop, don’t forget to sign up for our email list.  

 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported us throughout 2024. We truly wouldn’t be where we are today without each and every one of you! The love and encouragement from our community this year has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we’re endlessly grateful for your unwavering support through every moment of this incredible journey.

We hope your 2024 was as magical and meaningful as ours, and we’re sending you our warmest wishes for a truly phenomenal 2025 filled with joy, success, and endless possibilities. Thank you for being a part of our story—you mean the world to us!