About
We are a small batch, family-owned, coffee roastery located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Milly Castañeda Ledwith: Co-founder and Director of Business Operations
Kevin Ledwith: Co-founder and Director of Coffee
Our story starts in Guatemala
Kevin was first introduced to the coffee industry in 2005, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. He worked with coffee producers in the Alta Verapaz department, near Coban. Coban is also Milly’s hometown and where the two of us first met. It was a life-changing experience in many ways.
We’re passionate about coffee but not just because it’s a delicious way to start our day. We love everything about coffee, from the communities it’s grown in, to how it’s harvested and produced, to the way it pops/cracks/smokes while roasting, to how it brings people together, to the enjoyment people get from drinking a fresh-roasted, responsibly sourced, and delightful cup of specialty coffee.
Kevin had been home roasting coffee for over 15 years but always dreamed about running a small batch roasting company. Now, instead of just thinking about it, we’ve finally decided to take the plunge and share our love of coffee through Bear Canyon Coffee!
We roast all of our coffee medium to medium dark, which are relative terms. We strive to keep the integrity of the coffee bean, preserving each origin’s unique flavor profile while also adding a “hint” of roastiness in the cup. Our goal is to provide you with the smoothest, cleanest, most flavorful cup of coffee you’ve ever tasted!
Why Bear Canyon?
Bear Canyon is the area of Albuquerque where we live and the gateway into the foothills of our beautiful Sandia mountains. Our family spends a lot of time there, biking, hiking, and running. It’s where our son learned to mountain bike when he was just two years old. Sunrises over the Sandia mountains are incredible. We’re proud of our city and so fortunate to have this open space playground in our back yard.
Beans - high quality and responsibly sourced
Coffee bean selection is extremely important to us. It’s not just about having the highest quality beans (although we only roast specialty coffee beans with high SCA ratings). It’s also about the connection to the community and making sure farmers and their families are receiving fair wages for their work. Being a small roaster means it’s a challenge to buy direct from the farm so we’ll only partner with coffee importers who share our same values.