SAND + STEEL | Indiana Dunes Collab

Created in collaboration with Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes Tourism, Sand + Steel reflects the identity of Northwest Indiana, where shifting dunes and open water exist alongside the steel mills that helped build the region. It is a project rooted in contrast and connection, honoring both the landscape that defines this shoreline and the generations of people who have shaped their lives here.
 
To embody that balance, we selected a certified USDA Organic coffee from Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, sourced from the villages of Bonda and Minca. Like the dunes themselves, this mountain region is ecologically rich and dynamic, rising abruptly from tropical lowlands into cool, cloud-covered highlands. Members of the Asociacion Biologicos para la Paz (ASOBIOPA), a group of small producers dedicated to organic agriculture, cultivate this coffee using practices designed to protect soil health, water sources, and biodiversity. Organic certification at this level remains uncommon in specialty coffee and reflects long-term stewardship rather than convenience.
 
Grown at elevations up to 1,900 meters above sea level, the coffee matures slowly in the mountain climate, developing concentrated sugars and a refined structure. This lot is composed primarily of the Castillo variety. Harvested from October through March, ripe cherries are selectively picked and processed using the washed method, emphasizing clarity and a clean expression of origin.
 
In the cup, Sand + Steel mirrors the balance that defines the lakeshore. Blackberry provides a deep and jammy fruit note, while apricot adds warmth and sweetness. Cocoa butter contributes a smooth, rounded feel on, and mandarin zest lifts the profile with a bright citrus accent. The result is a coffee that feels equally suited for daily drinking or slow pour brewing.
 
Sand + Steel is an ongoing tribute to this region and its ecosystems, industries, and communities that move between them. It represents the balance between natural beauty and human effort, preservation and progress, and the idea that meaningful things are often forged where opposing forces meet.
 
Geography:
Colombia
 
Locale:
Bonda & Minca Village, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,

Producers:
ASOBIOPA

Altitude:
~1,900 meters

Variety:
Castillo

Process:
Washed

Harvest:
October–March

Certification:
USDA Organic
 
Region Roasted
Our coffee is fully ethically sourced and roasted in Northwest Indiana by FLUID Coffee Roasting Lab. Each coffee is sourced utilizing practices focused on sustainability and local economy.