The Cocatrel Cooperative was founded in 1961 in Três Pontas, Brazil, and has since grown to become the country’s second-largest cooperative. Today, it represents over 6,000 members and operates 11 regional buying stations. Every coffee delivery is electronically tagged with a unique QR code, ensuring full traceability so growers can track their coffee throughout the supply chain. Notably, more than 50% of Cocatrel’s members cultivate coffee on farms smaller than 10 hectares, highlighting the cooperative’s support for smallholder producers.
One of these exceptional offerings is Caixa de Frutas, meaning “Box of Fruits.” This blend is sourced primarily from the Carmo de Cachoeira region and is carefully selected for its red fruit notes and creamy milk chocolate profile. The Cocatrel Direct Lab team evaluates and assigns coffees to this blend, ensuring they score 83+ on the cupping scale and maintain a clean, high-quality profile.
A defining feature of this coffee is its unique drying method. Every lot in this blend is dried in static boxes—1-meter-deep containers that hold up to 15,000 liters of cherries, equivalent to 25–30 bags of green coffee. These boxes feature a vented grill at the bottom, allowing air to circulate from below to ensure controlled, even drying. Two thermometers placed at different depths monitor the temperature, which is carefully maintained below 40°C to protect the coffee’s integrity. The process is called "static" because the coffee remains undisturbed throughout drying, without turning or rotation.
After drying, the coffee rests for 1–2 weeks before milling, allowing flavours to develop further. This method has enhanced fruity characteristics, yielding a more vibrant and expressive cup than the traditional Brazilian natural profile.
