How I teamed up with a mountain expert to leave the lab, climb the mountain, and prove that specialty coffee belongs everywhere.

My Mountain Calling: Finding a Kindred Spirit in the Wild

I’ve always wondered: how far beyond the cup can specialty coffee travel? Does it belong on a snowy mountain as much as it belongs in my lab?

This adventure started when I found someone that seemed to be asking the same big questions about nature and quality that I was asking. That someone was Arc’teryx.

Like me, Arc’teryx was born in Canada and listens deeply to nature. While their inspiration comes from the mountains and the wild, mine comes from the soil—the home of coffee, one of nature’s most generous gifts. It didn’t take me very long to realize how much we shared: our focus on quality, our dedication to craft and innovation, and our belief that community makes everything more meaningful. When I reached out to Arc’teryx, it wasn’t just a proposal. It was curiosity meeting respect. That authenticity made me believe this coffee collaboration could grow into something special.

The Ascension: Proving Coffee Belongs on Every Peak

From the very beginning, everything felt effortless. Both of us shared a deep love for artistry, sustainability, and authenticity. Working together simply made sense!

The biggest challenge was something I loved solving: how to create a truly refined coffee experience in places where people least expect it. I wanted to prove that specialty coffee can belong anywhere. So we packed up my cart and brought our brew to climbing gyms, served beautiful pour-overs under the blazing sun at a racecourse, and even shared a perfect cup halfway down a ski-run. Watching people enjoy a cup of carefully brewed coffee in those moments felt magical. It proved that coffee doesn’t just fit into adventure; it elevates it.

A Beautiful Coincidence: Craft, Courage, and Coffee

One of the most memorable moments came during an International Women’s Day event hosted by Arc’teryx to celebrate women’s strength. I was thrilled to serve coffee from the Costa Rican sister farmers supported by Bean Voyage, an organization empowering women producers. Serving their ethical coffee in that space, among women who climb mountains both literal and personal, was unforgettable. It became a moment of craft, courage, and connection that perfectly reflected the power of nature and what both brands stand for.

And of course I had to add my own touch to every detail! My De Mello artistic voice was wrapped around our coffee bags and our coffee cart featured co-created artwork. Even the labels and boxes featured design elements inspired by their creative language, turning the collaboration into a living dialogue between mountain and soil.

The Takeaway: Friends, Jackets, and the Strongest Connection

What I loved most was how naturally people embraced it. Arc’teryx even surprised my team during our anniversary by gifting us jackets to celebrate the partnership, a gesture that said everything about their sense of community. This partnership shaped my perspective, reminding me that my expertise is best used when I share the superpower of nature with my community. I look forward to seeking new friends on this journey, kindred spirits who believe that inspiration can be found everywhere and lives in every cup.

 

Frequently Asked Questions: Specialty Coffee and Adventure

Q. What was the De Mello Coffee x Arc'teryx collaboration?

A. The collaboration was a partnership between two Canadian-born brands focused on integrating a refined specialty coffee experience into outdoor and adventure settings. It highlighted De Mello's dedication to craft and quality in a new environment.

Q. How did the partnership showcase ethical coffee sourcing?

A. During a key event, De Mello served ethical coffee sourced from the women producers of Bean Voyage, linking the adventure community with the female empowerment mission in the coffee supply chain.

Q. What makes this collaboration unique?

A. It successfully proved that specialty coffee belongs everywhere by serving pour-overs and curated brews in unexpected places like climbing gyms, racecourses, and mountain slopes, directly elevating the adventure experience.

Q. Is De Mello Coffee committed to sustainability?

A. Yes! Like Arc'teryx, De Mello Coffee shares a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation, focusing on ethical sourcing and high-quality craft inspired by nature.