Cold Brew Coffee Watermelon

Julio Quiceno farms 8 hectares of coffee in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda — a municipality nestled within Colombia’s UNESCO-recognised Coffee Cultural Landscape. At 1,600 metres, the Caturra variety thrives in a climate shaped by consistent temperatures and a well-defined harvest season running from May to August. Julio oversees every stage of production personally, from selective hand-picking of fully ripe cherries through to processing, with a focus on quality and consistency that shows in the cup.

What makes this coffee truly distinctive is the process behind it. UBA’s Culturing method is a controlled fermentation technique developed through years of research in collaboration with Universidad de los Andes. Selected microorganisms are introduced under sterile conditions alongside natural fruit compounds — in this case, pineapple, watermelon and sugarcane — which integrate into the bean during fermentation. The coffee is then sun-dried slowly over 7 to 14 days to lock in its aromas and flavour development. The result is a clean, expressive cup with a pronounced watermelon character that’s vivid but not artificial.