Hero's Roast

Overview:

As a veteran-owned small business, we deeply value the veterans past and present who have made the ultimate commitment and sacrifice for our country. As Veteran’s Day approaches, we’re proud to honor them with an exclusive roast dedicated to their service: Hero’s Roast. 

Every bag you purchase directly supports CCHVP, a 501(c)(19) veterans support organization, helping fund programs that support and uplift those who have served and are facing hardships. Learn more about the direct impact your purchase has below.

• $2 donated for every 310 g Hero's Roast sold
• $4 donated for every 2 lb Hero's Roast sold
• $8 donated for every 5 lb Hero's Roast sold

This limited-time release is available through November 23, 2025 - enjoy an extraordinary cup that gives back to those who gave so much.

Background:

The foundation of Hero's Roast lies within our Veteran co-founder and co-owner, Al Lopez. Not only is Al a 4th generation coffee farmer born and raised in Honduras, but he also served in the U.S. Army. Al is extremely proud of the time he spent in the military and says it was one of the highest honors of his life.

Max Folger, General Manager at Alma Coffee and Marine Veteran, led this project from concept to completion. From crafting the roast profile to partnering with a trusted nonprofit, Max ensured that every aspect of Hero’s Roast truly honors and supports veterans - both locally and beyond.

Cherokee County Homeless Veteran’s Program:

We decided to partner with the Cherokee County Homeless Veteran’s Program for a few reasons: Primarily, we wanted to work with a local nonprofit that would be involved in the process and would provide transparency on the allocation of raised funds. Executive Director and Army Veteran, Jim Lindenmeyer, visited us at our roastery and had direct input into the entire project. In addition to working with Jim, we felt drawn to work with CCHVP because:

• The funds will be used specifically to provide food, limited housing, clothing, and support in Veteran Affairs claims
• The state of Georgia ranks third in the country for the highest number of homeless veterans, there is an urgent local need
• Veterans are at 50% higher risk of taking their lives when compared to their non-serving peers
• More than 15,000 veterans call Cherokee County their home
• Registered 501c19 veteran nonprofit

To learn more about CCHVP, visit their website. 

Roast Story: 

Since we began this partnership 4 years ago, we have aimed to hit a consistent taste profile - an approachable dark roast with a nice touch of sweetness. This coffee is one that you can enjoy black, or paired with cream and sugar. The recommended method of brewing would be with a french press: 

1. Measure out 60 grams of coffee (4 tbsp)
2. Pour the coffee grounds into the bottom of the empty French Press.
3. Pour 1 Liter of boiling water evenly over the coffee grounds and stir with a spoon to make sure there are no clumps of ground coffee
4. Place the French Press plunger on top of the French Press without plunging and let the coffee steep for 5 minutes
5. After 5 minutes you can choose to plunge the French Press but we recommend leaving the plunger on top of the French Press and not plunging. 
6. Get ready to be caffeinated!

Every sip of this coffee is a chance to remember and honor the veterans and first responders who have given so much. With your help, we feel confident that we can make this our most impactful year yet!

Origin Story:

Finca Terrerito (Finca T) is our main Alma Family Farm in Honduras. Founded in the 1960s, this is where we do the bulk of processing and quality control on the coffee before it makes its way to us here in North Georgia.  Not only does most of our coffee come from Finca T but it is also where we house all our state-of-the-art equipment. From a water well that goes 400ft into the ground to ensure only the cleanest water for processing, all the way to wet processing, dry processing, and exporting. It all goes down at Finca T!  

Finca T was originally purchased in the 1960s by Al’s family, it was 200 acres of farmland and was named Finca Terrerito. Funny enough, the word Terrerito is not an actual word and our best guess is that when the land went to be registered they misspelled, the word Terrerito, which translates to “little piece of land” to Terrerito. In 2001, Al Lopez, a co-owner at Alma, purchased Finca T from his mother and begin planting some coffee trees while primarily using the land for cattle. By 2008, Al had dedicated his retirement to improving lives through Finca T in the small town from which he was born and raised. 

Today, we are very honored to have built the foundation to this business at Finca T! With only the best equipment and every single step of the process happening under our watchful eyes, we produce a quality of coffee that is truly extraordinary.