The Story
Huckleberry Roasters began in 2011 when friends Koan Goedman and Mark Mann started roasting coffee in a backyard garage adjacent to a chicken coop, bonded by their shared love for The Shins and “a good amount of beers” . The classic coffee shop success story started when barista Mark met customer Koan at a local cafe, and the two became friends over their shared love of records and beer . The company is now owned by friends and proud coffee people Koan Goedman and Jason Farrar, who share the core belief that business should build collective culture and community by investing in people .
From those humble backyard beginnings, the founders slowly scaled up from the garage to a small room in a shared space on Larimer Street, and later to a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in the Sunnyside neighborhood with a production roasting operation south of the city center . HUCK has now grown to 8 coffee shops (and counting) in the Denver Metro area, plus a diverse range of wholesale partners across the U.S.
The company has grown to employ nearly 20 people while maintaining their foundational commitment to community and sustainable practices .
Sourcing & Relationships
Huckleberry’s Guatemala coffees are their passion project, representing their most hands-on, direct and intensive partner relationship with growers and producers of APROCAFE near Lake Atitlán . They’ve been roasting coffee from APROCAFE since 2015 in a hands-on relationship since day one, working with the group to develop their first single farmer microlot program and using proceeds from their holiday Sister Winter blend to help fund various cooperative projects . APROCAFE has used Sister Winter funds to purchase organic-approved leaf rust prevention treatments, build raised drying beds to improve coffee processing, and buy Brix meters to help harvest coffee cherries at optimal ripeness .
HUCK is committed to building a sustainable coffee business that prioritizes being a reliable roasting partner to the smallholder farms and coffee co-ops they work with . They use a short list of importers who offer long-standing, stable and sustainable relationships with producers while providing access to really special coffee that tells an interesting story, is impactful in development, and tastes lovely in the cup . Their partnership with El Grano provides APROCAFE key pre-financing that allows the association to pay farmers full market rates when they deliver cherry, with premiums redistributed at harvest’s end .
Roasting Philosophy
Co-founder Mark Mann’s roasting philosophy is straightforward: “don’t mess up by doing too much” because “the coffee is all ready to be delicious, so I just need to put it over a fire and help it get there” . Their roasting style is described as “approachable, light-ish, complex” , with their coffee tending to the light-medium roast side while beautifully expressing nuances from their small-lot and direct purchases . Their core philosophy centers on showcasing the coffee’s potential: “We really just want to showcase the potential of the coffee. We are always working to make it better and better” .
From day one, they’ve wanted Huckleberry to mean something, stand for something, and leave a mark, which manifests in their coffee philosophy where they try to be approachable and welcoming in the coffee they source, roast, brew and serve . At least three times weekly, the roasting team conducts “cupping” sessions to taste each roast, with tasting having a big impact on their roasting philosophy as they work to improve specific aspects of each roast . Their entire roasting team is Q Certified, and they took home first place in 2019’s US Coffee Roasting Championship .
What to Try
Blue Orchid is Huckleberry’s house espresso blend, served daily in their cafes and designed to be approachable both as espresso and brewed coffee, with or without milk, maintaining a sweet, full-bodied, chocolate and caramel flavor profile using Central and South American coffees . This “great tasting comfort coffee” is a well-rounded crowd pleaser, especially for those transitioning from darker roast profiles into specialty coffee . The current version blends Brazil Pocos de Caldas and Peru Aldea Laurel .
Phantom Limb is the wildest of Huckleberry’s blends, conceived to focus on fruit-forward flavors unexpected from traditional espresso blends and serving as an East African showcase highlighting both natural and washed coffees . Intended to showcase unexpected, unique flavors—jam and berries from natural processing and clean, floral goodness from washed Africans—it’s like “your bag of Jolly Ranchers or pack of Starbursts” compared to Blue Orchid’s “Tootsie Roll or Milky Way” . With every purchase, they donate a portion of proceeds to local amputee support organizations .
Their Guatemala Atitlán Aprocafé represents Huck’s most hands-on sourcing relationship, delivering “delicious and approachable” coffee with notes of red apple, chocolate, almond, and subtle berries . This year’s crop features green apple, pastry, subtle berries, and almondy nougat—“dependably sweet and delicious” . The roaster also offers microlots from individual APROCAFE farmers, demonstrating their commitment to showcasing exceptional lots while supporting producer partners through premium payments and long-term relationships.