The Story
When Vincent Iatesta returned from France and Italy as an international marketing student in the 1990s, he couldn’t shake the feeling he needed to bring coffee culture to the U.S. Mesmerized by his recent vacation in Costa Rica spent visiting coffee farms, Vince decided to create Ceremony. This experience, and a belief that coffee should be something special — which later became Ceremony’s slogan — is what led Vince to purchase a roaster and begin the company out of his parents’ garage in Annapolis, Maryland in 2002.
He taught himself to roast coffee and pull espresso shots in his basement for a couple of years before opening Ceremony Coffee’s first location in 2002. Ceremony has been a pillar of coffee quality ever since, with baristas and roasted beans frequently winning titles in national competitions.
More than two decades later, Ceremony has grown into one of the mid-Atlantic’s most beloved specialty roasters, built on a simple but deeply held belief: coffee should be something special.
In October 2024, Ceremony Coffee Roasters was acquired by FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective, a Kansas City, Missouri-based group managing several specialty coffee brands. The 22-year-old roaster-retailer is the first Maryland-based coffee company to join the Missouri-based collective. Founder Vincent Iatesta will remain in his role, and the company’s 85-member team will also stay on board. Founded in Annapolis in 2002, Ceremony has expanded to Baltimore’s Federal Hill, Harbor Point, and Bethesda, among other locations.
Sourcing & Relationships
Their sourcing reflects that philosophy at every level, considering not just cup quality but how much money flows back to producers and what their importing partners are doing in growing communities. Relationships, they’ll tell you, are the soul of the work.
When they source coffees, Ceremony not only considers the quality, but how much of the money is going back to the producers and their families, and what kind of work the importer or exporter is doing in the growing communities.
What sets Ceremony apart is its deep commitment to working directly with coffee producers worldwide. By building strong relationships with farmers and sourcing ethically grown beans, the roaster ensures that every cup tells a story of sustainability and care.
Known for its minimalist design aesthetic and meticulous attention to coffee sourcing and education, Ceremony partners were farms and importers around the world to create highly rated single-origin, blend, espresso, and decaf coffees.
Our work begins by sourcing some of the best arabica beans from four continents each growing season. We often travel to coffee farms to build relationships with farmers and to help perfect the process from the very beginning. After the green coffee arrives in Annapolis, we set about honing a new roast profile for that crop. Our goal is to really understand the coffee that we’re working with and bring out its individual character and inherent qualities. This is, above all, the heart of our craft.
Roasting Philosophy
Before many American coffee drinkers started thinking about alternatives to the normal dark roast, this pioneering Annapolis outfit was leaning into the lighter approach.
Most of our coffees fall on the lighter side of the spectrum.
Characterized by their commitment to serving only 85+ scoring coffees and with plenty of high-tech coffee gear, this Mid-Atlantic mini-chain now has three locations in the city, with more to come.
In the cup, expect beautifully balanced, sweetness-forward coffees with loads of character and a house style that plays well with everyone.
The roasting philosophy at Ceremony Coffee Roasters highlights the unique character of each coffee origin. With an emphasis on clean, bright, and balanced flavor profiles, their coffees deliver clarity and vibrancy in every sip. Whether it’s a single-origin offering that showcases distinct terroir or a thoughtfully crafted seasonal blend, Ceremony brings out the best in every bean.
Classic and endlessly approachable, Thesis embodies our philosophy of sourcing for sweetness and balance. This blend is crafted with intention, as each season we select coffees that showcase sugar-browning notes- chocolate chip cookies, light brown sugar, and milk chocolate- while preserving a consistent profile. These carefully chosen coffees highlight our commitment to working directly with producers who prioritize quality and sustainability, allowing us to create a blend that’s comforting yet complex, offering something special in every sip. Thesis makes a statement about what a house blend should be: rooted in ethical sourcing, refined in taste, and resonant in its subtle yet bold sweetness.
What to Try
Start Here: Thesis Blend, a Colombian and Brazilian house blend with candied fruit acidity, dark brown sugar sweetness, and a long toffee finish.
This Colombian and Brazilian blend is true to its namesake, and makes a strong statement about the ideal house blend: it should be full of sweetness and able to play well with or without cream. On our scorecard, we’re giving it high marks: balanced acidity of candied fruit, caramelized sweetness of dark brown sugar and caramel, and a lasting toffee finish.
For espresso lovers, Mass Appeal is an ideal workhorse espresso or full-bodied filter brew. Perfectly rich with milk and as a standalone, thanks to plentiful dark chocolate and sweet almond flavors, this blend of seasonal coffees from the Americas is extremely popular and hard to resist. On the darker side, Synthesis offers an effective counterpoint to Thesis by applying a darker roast profile to the sweetest coffees we can find. Dark, but not too roasty, this seasonally-updated single origin can be brewed as an intensely dark filter coffee or extracted with an espresso machine to produce a richly sweet, smooth shot.
Shop the freshest in our beautiful range of seasonal coffees sourced throughout the year.
Our offering is built to offer a broad spectrum of fresh options. If you want microlots that burst with fruit, we’re here for you. Shop our latest single origins, blends, espressos, and gear. Ceremony Coffee Roasters is your home for the best coffee from long-time favorites to exciting microlots. Recent seasonal offerings include their Holiday Annuals 2024, a blend featuring 50% Ethiopia Nano Genji and 50% Honduras Proyecto Cabanas. Nano Genji is perfect for bright, red fruit flavors that combine with the balanced vanilla and brown sugar flavors from Proyecto Cabanas. Every brew keeps you warm and cozy with notes of shortbread, cherry, and orange zest.