Food & Beverage

For San Antonio coffee drinkers who have made Merit Coffee part of their morning commute, weekend meetups or neighborhood routine, an international competition has put two of the hometown brand’s coffees in the spotlight.

San Antonio-founded Merit Coffee Company announced Sept. 15 that it earned two gold medals at the 2026 Global Coffee Awards, an international competition focused on coffee quality and roasting. The winning coffees were Lucem, the company’s widely available "everyday blend," and a limited-edition Peru Gesha Natural scheduled to make its debut as part of Merit’s holiday coffee lineup later this year.

It is a notable recognition for a company whose roots remain closely tied to San Antonio, even as the Merit Coffee name has expanded across Texas.

A San Antonio Coffee Brand Goes Global

Merit Coffee was founded in San Antonio in 2009 with a focus on specialty coffee, hospitality and neighborhood gathering spaces. Its original Sonterra café remains part of the company’s San Antonio presence, which now includes locations in Alamo Heights, the Medical Center, Shavano Park and Leon Springs. Merit has since expanded into Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Behind those cafés is a roasting operation that has also grown considerably.

Merit says its roasting program began in 2014 inside a 2,400-square-foot warehouse on San Antonio’s South Side. The company now operates from a roughly 9,000-square-foot roasting facility, where coffees sourced from farms in Central America, South America and Africa are tested, cupped and roasted before reaching cafés and retail shelves.

That work is part of what makes the Global Coffee Awards recognition particularly local. Although Merit’s coffee beans begin their journey thousands of miles from San Antonio, the roasting behind the two gold-medal coffees happens here.

Lucem Earns Gold for a Coffee Many Texans Already Know

One of Merit’s two gold medals went to Lucem, a blend made with coffees sourced from Honduras and Brazil.

Unlike a competition-only release that customers may never encounter, Lucem is already one of Merit’s most accessible coffees. It is sold at all 15 Merit cafés and through Texas retailers including select H-E-B stores, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Kroger and Central Market, as well as through Merit’s online store.

For San Antonio residents, that means one of the coffees receiving international recognition may already be sitting in a kitchen cabinet, office break room or neighborhood café.

Merit’s own store information shows Lucem and other Merit coffees available through several San Antonio-area H-E-B locations, extending the locally roasted brand beyond its cafés and into everyday grocery shopping.

A Second Gold Medal Offers a Preview of the Holidays

Merit’s other gold medal went to its Peru Gesha Natural, a limited-edition coffee that has not yet been released to customers.

The company says the coffee will be introduced as part of its 2026 holiday coffee rollout, with more information about its sourcing, flavor profile and availability expected closer to launch.

Gesha coffees have become particularly well known within specialty coffee circles, and Merit’s award gives San Antonio coffee fans an early reason to watch for this year’s seasonal collection.

Both gold-medal coffees were roasted by Carlos Riaño, Merit’s Head Roaster and Q Grader, who has also qualified for the United States Coffee Roasting Championship. According to Merit, Riaño is scheduled to compete in December for an opportunity to advance to the global finals.

How the Global Coffee Awards Judging Works

According to Merit’s announcement, coffees entered in the Global Coffee Awards undergo a double-blind evaluation by an international panel of certified coffee professionals.

Judges evaluate the coffee itself rather than branding or packaging, considering characteristics such as aroma, flavor, sweetness, acidity, balance, body and overall cup performance.

The competition is also intended to recognize the work that happens across the coffee supply chain, from producers growing and processing the beans to the roasters ultimately developing the final flavor profile.

For Merit, that process begins with direct sourcing. The San Antonio company says members of its team travel to coffee-producing regions to meet growers, evaluate harvests and build long-term relationships with farm partners before selected coffees are shipped to Texas for roasting.

Seven Medals for Merit Coffee in 2026

The two gold medals were not Merit’s only recognition in the competition.

The company said five additional Merit coffees received bronze medals, bringing its 2026 Global Coffee Awards total to seven medals. Merit specifically identified Camino de Oro, Patlanalan Community, Saddle Up and Sugarcane Decafamong the bronze-medal recipients. The company’s announcement did not name the fifth bronze-winning coffee.

The combination of awards spans familiar blends, decaf coffee and more limited specialty offerings, reflecting the range of coffees moving through Merit’s San Antonio roasting program.

Why the Recognition Matters in San Antonio

For a city increasingly known for homegrown restaurants, breweries, culinary talent and independent businesses, Merit’s latest recognition adds another San Antonio name to an international stage.

But there is also a quieter local story behind the medals.

Since opening in 2009, Merit has built much of its identity around cafés designed to function as neighborhood gathering places, where coffee is as much about conversation and routine as what is in the cup. The company says its mission centers on creating spaces where people can work, meet friends or simply slow down during the day.

Seventeen years after Merit began in San Antonio, those everyday coffee runs now connect back to a roasting operation receiving international attention.

Residents interested in trying one of the winners do not have to wait. Lucem is already available at Merit cafés and participating Texas retailers. Those curious about the Peru Gesha Natural will have to keep an eye on Merit Coffee’s holiday releases later this year.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more San Antonio restaurant news, local business updates and stories highlighting the people and companies putting the community on the map.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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