An Advent Calendar is an idea deeply rooted in German tradition, where it first started, that has slowly begun to spread to the whole world. The Coffee Advent Calendar from 19grams has been trying – since its first edition 9 years ago – to approach coffee lovers that might not be familiar with Specialty Coffee, but love a unique advent calendar.

The 19grams Coffee Advent Calendar is a seasonal Gift Box that brings together 24 different coffees from 24 different coffee growing regions. Each of them is unique and carefully selected and sourced by our roasting team. In order to keep the beans fresh, we use tins that use a screw-on lid with an extra sealer in the lid. This ensures the container remains airtight.

The Box has to fulfill several needs regarding the user’s experience and is designed to bring online and offline together: Within the box we provide as much info about Origin, Farm, and Processing, as possible – limited only by physical space of the box – for each individual coffee. The in-box brewing examples are also a great reference to help get coffee newbies started.

By using QR Codes on the packaging we try to bridge the gap between offline product and the online world on www.19grams.coffee, where we provide the customer with a tailored landing page for each coffee. This page contains images of the farm and more coffee information such as harvest dates, and information about the farmers, and farm products. In this way, we aim to bridge the gap between coffee connoisseurs and those who still want to become one. We know that coffee can sometimes be a slog to get into. With our design we have kept an eye on customers who are new to coffee and need more info and support in their journey of understanding specialty coffee. The combination of the online and offline worlds gives us the opportunity to support our customers as best possible, regardless of their level of coffee expertise.

Since day one of decent packaging, we’ve been passionate about championing local artists and celebrating exceptional design within our coffee community. Previously, no other food or beverage packaging company had collaborated with local artists through their product range. We saw this as a unique opportunity to distinguish ourselves from our competitors, and to be able to provide a takeaway cup for hospitality businesses who are looking to add a spark to their packaging range, without the full commitment of custom designs. As a brand that’s dedicated to design, we knew artist collaborations was a concept we could deliver exceptionally well, and so the idea for our Limited Edition Compostable Canvas Hot Cups was born.

This limited edition range has allowed us to work with up-and-coming artists from each market, while enabling us to produce takeaway cups that are original, one-of-a-kind designs, and offering a platform to support these artists and showcase their talent. We’ve also supported local charities such as Project Waterfall (UK) and Bees Up Top (NZ) through this range, as well as running student artist competitions, reinforcing our commitment to the local community.

In both the United Kingdom and New Zealand, our bi-annual Limited Edition Compostable Canvases have become an integral part of who we are, and we feel privileged to work with so many talented artists around the world. We are now inundated with requests from local artists who want to have their artwork featured on our Hot Cups. Our customers, who are predominantly cafe owners, love having the fresh seasonal designs and sharing these across their social media channels. The limited edition cups are proven to be popular, and never last long!

Since 2016, we have created over 18 designs and we’re excited to share a new Compostable Canvas in both NZ and the UK in early 2024.

Here’s a selection of artists we’ve worked with:

Caroline Dowsett, Carl Santos, Grace Popplewell, Nick Staples, Kate Sylvester – NZ Fashion Designer, Lois O’Hara, Project Waterfall & Emma Evans-Freke, Ruby Alice Jones, Tess Smith-Roberts, Jovan Milovic, Chris Hutchinson (Chippy), Mayk Studio, Celia Steenhuisen x Bees up Top Charity, Jive Prints, Gina Kiel, Scizzorface, Andrew Bond, Helen Mai

URL: https://decentpackaging.co.nz/products/compostable-canvas-flowers-limited-edition

Incredible Gesha from direct-trade relationship producing partner Danny Perez/Family Bonds in Guatemala. We collaborated with local artist Jeff Weir who created 3 12′ x 5′ oil paintings which we cut up and wrapped around the cans of Gesha. We do this project once every three years. Each can is unique, hand-crafted and the coffee is exceptional.

URL: https://www.domacoffee.com/products/gesha-2023

At Equator Coffees, our core/evergreen merch items are a representation of our core brand, building off of our iconic red coffee bag. They play in our primary brand colors (black, red, white, grey), and stick to core brand messages. However, when it comes to our seasonal campaigns, we embrace a more creative approach to design. These campaigns provide us with the opportunity to collaborate with artists who interpret our iconic tiger emblem within the boundaries of our brand guidelines, allowing for a touch of adventurous creativity. Moreover, they offer a platform to narrate the story behind the hero coffee component in the seasonal blend and shed light on the 5% giveback that supports projects at origin.

Equator Coffees’ 2023 Golden Hour Collection serves as a prime illustration of this approach, seamlessly merging design and the art of coffee storytelling across a diverse range of products.

For this summer’s Golden Hour Blend, our journey led us to the island of Java, where we partnered with Belift Green Beans. Belift is a collective of forward-thinking Indonesian coffee professionals committed to elevating the quality and sustainability of Indonesian coffee. Our Equator Coffees roastery team focused on showcasing this coffee as part of a team competition to determine the seasonal blend. The winning roast profile, expertly crafted by Associate Roaster Joel Lohner, features the hero coffee from Java, complemented by beans from Kenya and Honduras. Joel meticulously tested several iterations before arriving at the final roast profile, which delights the palate with fruit-forward flavors of fresh strawberry, berry cobbler, and chocolate croissant. Joel reflects, “Crafting a blend with a Javanese coffee as the hero component was an exciting opportunity. It allowed me to capture the flavors of such a beautiful region well known for its legacy in coffee.”

Our partnership with Belift Green Beans also played a crucial role in identifying a deserving project for our 5% giveback program. This program donates 5% of the sales from the seasonal blend and merchandise collection to support initiatives at the coffee’s origin. The chosen project involved the construction of a solar coffee dryer, a vital addition that enhances consistency and quality, setting a benchmark for other drying stations in the area.

In a nod to the blend’s Indonesian roots, we collaborated with Indonesian design firm ABDesign, co-founded by Bryant Leon and Ardan Kukah, individuals driven by their passion for both design and coffee. The design created for the Golden Hour Blend collection draws inspiration from the natural beauty they experienced growing up in Indonesia. It showcases the local flora and fauna, featuring elements such as Mount Bromo, the Sumatran Tiger, the Kasuari Bird, the Slow Loris, the White-lipped Tree Viper, and Coffee Plants, all intertwined with Amaranths. The golden glow in the background serves as a tribute to the Golden Hour, a time of day celebrated for its significance in anchoring gratitude and embracing the rising or setting sun—a fitting reference to the solar dryer project at origin.

The Golden Hour collection includes a limited edition custom seasonal design on the 12 oz coffee bag ($20), a 5-count box of seasonal blend instant coffee ($16), a 16 oz Fellow Carter Cold tumbler ($36), and an enamel pin ($7). Each piece is a canvas for the impactful design, a testament to our dedication to creating extraordinary coffee experiences while making a tangible difference in the world.

URL: https://www.equatorcoffees.com/pages/golden-hour-blend-collection

Packaging for V60 Plastic Coffee Dripper 02 – Night Sky Series ✨
We love this packaging! Designed by Mario Haegendoreens at Hario USA in association with Hario Japan.

Photos:

URL: https://www.hario-usa.com/collections/drippers/products/v60-plastic-coffee-dripper-02-night-sky-series

The Village has always celebrated differences and the creative spirit. It’s where we started, at the corner of Waverly and Gay. And the ideas and ideals of this vibrant neighborhood will always be at the core of Joe Coffee, no matter where we open our doors. From the sun-dappled streets of Brooklyn Heights to the bustling halls of Grand Central Station, we are proud to be part of many unique communities. The 20th Anniversary Coffee, packaging, and merchandise celebrated the hard work and dedication to a craft we all love.

URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristinwolfe/2023/06/17/lets-go-joe-new-yorks-neighborhood-coffee-shop-turns-20/

In April 2023, I was contracted by Vancouver, Washington based coffee roaster, KafieX, to build a one-of-a-kind coffee tasting experience to place in the hands of the team responsible for serving coffee at SpaceX headquarters. KafieX is owned by Seidy Selivanow (2023 U.S. Barista Championship semifinalist) and Matthew Selivanow (2023 U.S. Roasting Competition finalist). This power-duo have also collected innumerable Vancouver Cold Brew Competition, Golden Bean, and roasting awards while maintaining two high-volume cafes in Vancouver. Seidy and Matthew offered me the opportunity to exercise full creative freedom in designing a memorable and display box for the delivery of this special flight of unique, renowned, and hard-to-find coffees served in KafieX cafes. To showcase these special coffees, I illustrated a “Constellation of Flavors” with each of 9 coffees representing a planet in our solar system, encircling the centerpoint “sun” which contained an award-winning Cup of Excellence Mexico #2. Space age cupping bowls by Barista Hustle were included in this limited-edition, fully-recyclable package, along with a matte black Hario cupping spoon for the recipients to use in tasting. Each coffee was packed in a compostable pouch with a label matching its corresponding planet.

Designer: Liz Chai
URL: https://chai.coffee/spacex-kafiex-coffee-cupping-package-design

Nordbeans unveils new design coat of its traditional Christmas coffee. The limited edition is playfully named named after Rodolfo Ruffatti Batlle, who is the producer of the coffee. Ruffatti family coffees have been part of Nordbeans Christmas since 2017.

The design itself showcases a raindeer in motion, as animal themes are a staple for Nordbeans wholebean packaging.

Onyx Coffee Lab presents the 2023 Coffee Advent Calendar – an annual experience cherished by thousands of specialty coffee lovers worldwide. Featuring 24 days of coffee, this collection explores origins, varieties, and processing methods, revealing the rich tapestry of coffee flavors. This limited edition collection is designed for the coffee curious, the connoisseurs, and anyone in between seeking a truly unique coffee experience.

This year’s packaging is elegant and designed to make an impression. Gold foil treatments are applied to beautiful seasonal illustrations on each side of the box’s exterior, and when the box opens, an accordion style collection box of 24 individually wrapped bags of coffee is revealed. Each coffee is marked from Day 1 to Day 24, and an beautifully designed information card is included to provide details about each coffee.

URL: https://onyxcoffeelab.com/products/2023-advent-calendar

Block Party is our ode to New York summers and a celebration of community. It all started with conversations about what thoughts of summer in New York brought up for each of us. We thought of friends sitting on stoops, kids running through fire hydrant sprinklers, a bustling McCarren Park, and the electric energy of the city’s residents out and about soaking up the sun. We explored motifs from Coney Island to Rockaway to the ferry on the river but felt that the truest representation of New York summer was simply people finding R&R all around them.

You’ll see characters sitting on the long bench in front of Partners on North 6th Street, walking a pedestrian street, grilling in the park, partying, and commuting on bikes and skates. We hope anyone — especially residents of our HQ’s Williamsburg neighborhood, will find something they recognize from their summer in the wrap design!

The theme of summertime bliss is continued in-bag with a blend of Peruvian & Colombian coffees that reveal notes of strawberry, apple, and honeycomb.

Origin: Santa Bárbara, Antioquia, Colombia / Queromarca, Cutervo, Perú
Source: Santa Bárbara Estate / Callayuc Community
Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Apple, and Honeycomb*
Producer: Echavarría Family / 17 small-scale producers

URL: https://www.partnerscoffee.com/products/block-party

When the weather starts to break, it can only mean one thing: it’s Holiday Blend time! We usually trot out a cute character to usher in the season. They come bouncing into your lives with happy bags of coffee. NOT THIS YEAR. This year, The Frost Gobbler is coming, and he’s craving his favorite treat – gingerbread people.

Our Holiday Blend packaging this year came to us in a dream where the classic holiday claymations of the 70s met a punk rock band and created some CHAOS. The “Frost Gobbler”, PERC’s giant snowman mascot, wraps around the box and captures the scene. The “Ginger-folks” he is in pursuit of feature the famous PERC lightning bolt. They’re shown screaming in terror, running to save their crumbs, or simply sitting back and watching the world burn. To top it off, our owner and founder Philip even makes a cameo as a gingerbread dude in the back right corner.

URL: https://perccoffee.com/collections/coffee

In 2023 Portland Coffee Roasters launched our Limited Time Offering Coffee series with all original bag art.
Our Limited-Time Offering (LTO) is our series of coffees available for a limited time throughout the year, and availability changes with the seasons. We have 4 rotating LTO coffees, Bridge Blend, Anniversary Roast, Cold Brew Blend, and Holiday Roast.
Each coffee has its own distinct flavor profile curated by our coffee team. The flavors update to complement the change in seasonal flavors and attitudes. Some bags also celebrate important milestones for our company. Each bag features unique art that will shift every 1-2 years, and the art reflects the vibes of the season and the coffee inside.

URL: https://www.portlandcoffeeroasters.com/

We are officially unveiling our new brand Rare Breed Coffee on October 16th. Originally founded in 2001 as A&E Coffee, Rare Breed is an edgy brand that’s breaking away from the standard approach to specialty coffee. We aim to inspire the rebellious and unapologetic crowd to live life on their own terms. As we boldly proclaim, we are for the primal screamers, after-work artists, accidental entrepreneurs and irreverent storytellers. Our goal is to make specialty coffee more approachable and enjoyable for everyone – without sacrificing quality. No pretension, just great coffee.

Our Rare Breed seasonal coffee label series features custom pop-art style illustrations in 100% recyclable metal canisters. This artwork on our seasonal coffees is intended to support both the coffee’s name and character. Our illustrations are intended to be iconic and memorable rather than complex or scenic. We favor images that are quick to “read” and offer some level of the unexpected, be it humorous, rebellious, fun, quirky, irreverent or surreal. Most of our illustrations are two-color duo-tone images, though a few leverage a small spot of a third color, or even a select range of colors working together.

Our special reserve collection consists of coffee that exhibit dynamic flavor profiles. They are more complex and nuanced. When specialty coffee people look at a special reserve coffee, they want to know a few things off the bat: Where did it come from, what does it taste like, what’s so special about this particular coffee and have I ever tasted anything like it before? That’s why our labels lead with what we call a “coffee flavor headline”. Instead of leading with a beautiful graphic, we led with what specialty coffee drinkers want to know about this coffee: what does it taste like. We cut through the pomp and circumstance of specialty coffee labeling and give people what they want.

We’ve put lots of thought and effort into both our seasonal coffee series and special reserves series one of a kind label designs, and we’re proud to showcase this groundbreaking collection of coffee can labels that push the boundaries and challenges the status quo of conventional specialty coffee packaging.

URL: https://rarebreedcoffee.com

Solberg& Hansen – Norways oldest and largest speciality coffee Roaster.

Since 1879 we have travelled the world in search of the best coffees. Every coffee bean tells its own story. About the families who cultivate them, the geography and contry where they originate, how they are hand-picked and dried, and how they are processed, roasted and brewed by passionate professionals who are striving for the best quality and taste. But how do we communicate this to Norwegians who may never have bought or tastet speciality coffee before?

The Marketing team has created a uniqe range of seasonal coffees to match Norways distinct seasons and aim to make the high quality coffees available for everyone in Norway to taste and learn. The design reflects Norway, from north to south, from west to east. From cold winter mornings to warm summer nights. Result: We reach a much wider target group with these recognizable coffee bags and in that way introduce specialty coffees to them who maybe never would consider buying. Every season launched, sales increase considerably and enable us to continue our work with farmers across the world and search for the best coffees.

URL: https://www.sh.no

This spring we’ve processed our own experimental coffee in El Salvador at Jasal processing station Las Cruces. Wanted to make special design and packaging of it. So we created the box of art where we’ve put 100 g of super limited edition coffee.

URL: https://www.tastemap.lt

The Once Upon a Time project is our ode to the wizardry of coffee producers. It is a project designed to bring to light the truly magical coffees these storied coffee producers are capable of when they can freely practice coffee alchemy. Stirring together their unique fusion of terroir, cultivar, process and craft to create something rarified and magical.

Incredible coffees that redefine what coffee can be while giving voice and equity to the coffee producers. These magical coffees from storied producers are meticulously crafted, astoundingly delicious, infinitesimally micro and available only once.

These mythic coffees are appropriately cradled in mystical scrolls and locked inside the Torque Coffee Box. The entire package is 100% recycled, 100% plastic free and 100% home compostable and every piece is also reusable.

URL: https://torquecoffees.com/pages/once-upon-a-time-project