Pineapple Spritz comes from the Guiben region of Yunnan, in southwest China, a landscape better known for its ancient tea traditions than for coffee. Located near the border with Laos, the area is home to diverse ethnic communities and some of the most exciting developments in Chinese specialty coffee today.
This coffee is produced by Tian Cai and Tang Xiang, farmers who have become widely respected for their commitment to both quality and sustainability. Alongside coffee production, they are actively working to increase biodiversity on their farms by planting macadamia trees, mangoes and citrus among existing coffee and tea plots. Their goal is not only to produce exceptional coffee, but also to create long-term opportunities for local farming communities while improving the health of the land.
The coffee is grown between 1,400 and 1,630 metres above sea level and is produced from Catimor selections P3 and P4. While Catimor is often associated with productivity and resilience, careful cultivation and processing reveal a surprisingly expressive and nuanced cup profile.
What makes Pineapple Spritz particularly distinctive is its honey process.
After harvest, the cherries are carefully sorted and floated to remove underripe fruit and defects. The coffee is then depulped while retaining its sticky layer of fruit mucilage, which remains attached to the seed throughout drying. The coffee spends several weeks drying on raised beds, allowing sugars from the fruit to slowly interact with the bean and contribute sweetness, texture and complexity to the final cup.
The result is a coffee that feels both vibrant and remarkably clean.
Bright pineapple notes lead the cup, bringing a tropical sweetness that immediately captures attention. Beneath the fruit, a refreshing lemon iced tea character adds lift and structure, while soft caramel sweetness creates balance and depth. The combination is unusual yet harmonious, producing a cup that feels juicy, refreshing and endlessly drinkable.
Pineapple Spritz also offers another glimpse into the evolution of Chinese specialty coffee. As producers across Yunnan continue to refine cultivation and processing techniques, coffees like this demonstrate the remarkable potential of an origin that is only beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.
For us, this coffee captures the meeting point between tradition and innovation: grown in a region shaped by centuries of tea cultivation, produced by farmers focused on sustainability, and processed with care to create a cup that is bright, expressive and full of life.
