Brewers Series - J03 - LOS ALPES by Kai Janson, Geisha

Wildkaffee Roastery was founded in 2010 by Leonhard and Stefanie Wild, both former professional athletes - Stefanie as an alpine skier and Leonhard as an ice hockey goalkeeper who played in Cologne, Hamburg, and Munich. The company's roots trace back to 1892 when Leonhard's great-grandfather, Leonhard Panholzer, operated a small grocery store at Partenkirchen train station, selling roasted coffee from Hamburg. After successful ventures in gastronomy including sandwich franchises and Neapolitan pizzerias, the couple was motivated by the poor quality of coffee commonly available and decided to establish Germany's first coffee roastery in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Leonhard gained specialist knowledge from partner roasters while learning the complex craft of coffee roasting and undertaking coffee origin trips to understand farming conditions firsthand. The roastery began in a small backyard garage in Partenkirchen before expanding to larger premises in neighboring Farchant, where it operates today with nine employees. A separate café opened in Garmisch-Partenkirchen's center in 2014, later handed over to employee Benny Fleischhacker in 2018. Wildkaffee's motivation centers on processing only the finest coffee varieties sourced directly from farmers they know personally. They maintain direct relationships through regular origin visits, ensuring fair and social working principles while providing complete transparency about coffee origins, processing methods, and farmer stories. The company operates the Coffee School Project, purchasing a farm in El Salvador's Buenos Aires region where they train local farmers in specialty coffee cultivation. Their goal is creating communities that grow and learn together while ensuring every farmer benefits equally. Wildkaffee addresses coffee industry problems including poor working conditions, child labor, and inadequate farmer compensation through sustainable projects that increase transparency and provide fair connections between farmers and roasters. Their proceeds support community building and farm development while conducting training courses and seminars worldwide.