Silver Cup Coffee

Coffee with a story.

Founded in 2012, Fulcrum Coffee brought together two popular Seattle brands: Silver Cup and Urban City. Under the guidance of coffee roaster and taster Blas Alfaro, a fifth-generation Costa Rican coffee farmer who travels the world to search the best beans and to also build long-lasting relationships with local farmers, the company made its mark in the city’s thriving coffee culture.

The Silver Cup brand captured our attention thanks to the special blend of great packaging design as well as stories that inspire the products. The range features simple or rustic, nature-inspired monochrome illustrations coupled with a splash of color on natural brown paper. The design also hints at a story. For example, Southpaw, one of the first blends launched by Silver Cup, boasts a rendition of Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang. Wonderland celebrates Washington’s rugged landscape and fragrant evergreen forests. The Smuggler range takes a different approach, by reminding of one of the most intriguing Pacific Northwest-centric stories. Inspired by the infamous case of D.B. Cooper, this coffee celebrates the rebels, the anti-heroes, and those who push the limits to reach new heights.

Regardless of their story, the packages hold an array of stunning aromatic blends. For Smugglers, the company used Nicaraguan coffee with a rustic, rich aroma that boasts cherry, herbal, and nut notes. Sourced from Honduras, Wonderland’s blend reminds of mountainous landscapes and wild trails with its meld of brown sugar, black tea, and earthy notes. Southpaw features a special combination of coffee from Colombia, Indonesia, East Africa, and South America; the notes range from rich chocolate and caramel to light citrus. All of these blends, along with the brand’s other products, probably taste even better if enjoyed alongside good friends and a good story. Photographs© Fulcrum Coffee.