Imbibe Coffee Roasters

Imbibe Coffee Roasters, founded by Gary Grant in Dublin, Ireland, has built its reputation on a model that sets it apart from most specialty operations: the company commits 4% of all revenue to charitable giving before counting any profit. That structural pledge, visible at the top of its homepage and central to its brand identity, frames everything else Imbibe does — from sourcing decisions to how it communicates with customers.

Grant spoke to The Journal in February 2023 about the early risks Imbibe took and how Ireland's specialty coffee landscape has shifted over the years. The timing of those early moves — when Irish coffee culture was still finding its footing — positioned Imbibe as one of the roasters shaping that scene rather than simply benefiting from it. Precise founding details are not publicly documented, but the company's grown into a nationally recognized name, stocked online and wholesale across Ireland.

Imbibe's catalog leans heavily on certified organic single-origin coffees, with current offerings sourced from Ethiopia (Guji, natural process), Colombia (ASOPEP cooperative, Planadas), Peru (Aprysa Women's Committee, washed), and Brazil (Boa Sopa, natural). The co-op and producer-level sourcing credits suggest a direct-trade orientation, and the Women's Committee designation on the Peru lot indicates attention to producer equity. Flavor profiles across the range run from fruit-forward naturals — blueberry and tangerine on the Ethiopian Guji — to the more restrained washed offerings, like the Colombian El Puente, which presents as red apple, cocoa, and fudge.