Our Coffee
We offer a variety of coffees from around the world, all carefully hand-roasted on site in small batches with close attention to detail and quality. We source only the highest quality 100% Arabica green coffee beans, including organically grown, shade-grown Certified Bird Friendly®, Fair Trade USA, and Rainforest Alliance Certified™ coffees. We offer our fresh roasted coffees for sale in our retail shop in Murphys, CA, local grocery stores, as well as in our Online Store.
Bird Friendly Certified®
Bird Friendly® certified coffee is shade grown on plantations and farms that have agreed to adhere to strict, scientifically based standards for preservation of tropical forest ecosystems, in order to maintain and enhance habitat for native and migratory birds. Rather than being grown on land that has been cleared of all other vegetation, Bird Friendly® coffees are planted under a canopy of native trees. Not only is the Bird Friendly® certification better for tropical rainforests, it also results in a superior tasting coffee. Shade grown coffee ripens more slowly, resulting in a harder, denser bean with a cleaner, more “fruit forward” flavor.
Bird Friendly® coffees are the only coffees on the market that are certified as shade-grown and organic by an independent third-party inspector using criteria established by researchers at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) and Conservation Biology Institute. GCR is proud to be a member of the Bird Friendly® certified coffee program. A portion of all sales of our certified Bird Friendly® coffees goes back to the SMBC to support their international bird conservation research and habitat preservation efforts. More information
To view all our Certified Bird Friendly® coffees click here
Fair Trade USA
Fair Trade USA is a nonprofit, mission driven organization that tackles social and environmental sustainability with an innovative, entrepreneurial approach. They are the leading independent, third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in North America, ensuring that farmers and workers were paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, protect the environment, and receive community development funds to empower and improve their communities. More information
To view all our Fair Trade Certified Coffees please click here
SWISS WATER® Process
Our decaf beans are decaffeinated using the patented SWISS WATER® Process which uses water from the pristine environment of the the coast mountains of British Colombia to gently remove the caffeine without the use of harsh or toxic chemicals, leaving the full flavor intact. SWISS WATER® Process decaffeinated beans are guaranteed to be 99.9% caffeine free! ®/TM are trademarks of Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company Inc. used under license by Gold Country Roasters More information
To view all our Swiss Water® Process Coffees please click here
Rainforest Alliance Certified™
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and promote the rights and well-being of workers, their families and communities. Farms that meet comprehensive standards for sustainability earn the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal. These standards conserve biodiversity, ensure that soils, waterways and wildlife habitat is protected and that farm workers enjoy decent housing, access to medical care and schools for their children. Farms must commit to a process of continuous improvement and are audited each year in order to maintain their certification. By shopping for products bearing the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal, consumers can support a healthy environment and help to improve the quality of life for farm families. More information
To view all our Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Coffees please click here
Organically Grown Coffees
Although we do carry a number of organically grown coffees, we do not use the USDA Certified Organic logo on our labeling or packaging. The USDA requires that any coffees labeled as USDA Certified Organic be handled in strict accordance with federal organic program rules and regulations throughout all phases of the supply chain, from growing, to processing, to shipping, to storing, to roasting, to packaging, to serving. Because our small roastery has not yet been inspected and certified by an independent USDA-approved third party certification organization, our coffees cannot be labeled as USDA Organic, even if they have been grown in accordance with federal organic standards. Therefore, we use the term “organically grown” to describe coffees that were produced organically at the source, as a way of indicating that these coffees were in fact responsibly and sustainably grown, even if not explicitly labeled as such. We are committed to sourcing sustainably and organically grown coffees wherever possible because we believe they are better for the environment and better for people.