Page 85 - #63 eng 电子版

T he end of the

19th century
when coffee
pr o duc t ion World War II, be-
cause they were a
was in its early beginnings German family, they
in Am eri ca, with out lost their fincas. But
knowing it, two pioneers Alejo C.Jimenez with his family luckily enough, they
and entrepreneurs, Alejo that later on started Volan Azul were a b l e to bu y
C. Jiménez and Wilhelm them again soon af-
Kahle, shared the same ter the war ended
dream: “To produce the best coffee in the world” but then during the 1960s’ problems with
to satisfy the new European gourmet market. This the Zapatist movement started, so the fam-
is how Volcán Azul micro-mill started. ily decided to move to Costa Rica. Aside from
the fact that both families were in the coffee
Family Business business, they shared something else: they

were used to do all the process themselves,
A family with such a strong coffee produc- harvest, milling, exporting and selling the
ing tradition could only start with hard work and coffee; which by that time was not a common
a passion for quality. Volcán Azul didn’t start practice. These two families became one when
where it is located now, it actually started at the joined in marriage and kept on working to
Uruca, very close to downtown of San José, with pursue their dream of producing the best
Alejo Jiménez. Jiménez would sell the coffee coffee in the world.
himself in England and this could take up to Alejo C. proudly shares this story and says
six months since the journey took two months he’s pretty sure coffee is what runs through his
from Costa Rica to Europe and then two more veins. This is the reason behind so much passion
months back. Wilhelm Kahle was the other pi- at Volcán Azul, the love and respect that they have
oneer who started in for their ancestors and
the south of Mexico their hard work; all they
around the 1880’s; this want to do is to honor
family moved out from them. Alejo has helped
Germany escaping from ever since he ended
the harsh living condi- high school and wants
tions in their country. to pass this tradition on
Unfortunately during to his nephews.

Wilhelm Kahle with the family at
the end of the 19th century