USA California - Frinj Coffee Knopf Knoll Ranch Geisha Yeast Washed

Founded in 2017 by the late Jay Ruskey alongside Andy Mullins, Juan Medrano, and Lindsey Mesta, FRINJ Coffee is a collective of farms stretching across California, from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.

Together, they challenged long-held assumptions about where exceptional coffee could grow. California’s low elevations and location beyond the traditional Coffee Belt once made coffee cultivation seem unlikely. Yet in 2002, Jay’s partnership with UC Farm Advisor Dr. Mark Gaskell led to the planting of California’s first commercial coffee trees — the beginning of a vision that would reshape an entire origin.

Since then, FRINJ has continued redefining coffee terroir through climate-resilient agriculture, regenerative farming, and close collaboration with researchers at UC Davis. Their work even contributed to sequencing the Arabica coffee genome for the first time. Today, FRINJ coffees have earned recognition on competition stages and omakase counters across Los Angeles, Seoul, and Tokyo, most recently becoming the first California coffees presented at the 2026 Dubai Coffee Auction.

To cultivate coffee in a landscape once considered unsuitable, FRINJ embraces precision irrigation, regenerative farming, protective tunnel systems, and close collaboration with researchers at UC Davis. Together, these innovations allow coffee to thrive across California’s low-altitude terrain.

Guided by climate-resilient growing and processing techniques, Southern California’s temperate climate, volcanic soils, and extended growing seasons allow cherries to mature slowly, developing exceptional clarity and complexity in the cup.

Across partner farms such as Rancho Delfino, Silent Springs, Condor Ridge Ranch, and Williams Canyon, varieties including Geisha, Laurina, Pacamara, and Caturra unfold with layered florals and vibrant fruit character — an expression of a terroir once thought impossible for coffee.

Beyond cultivation, FRINJ’s work has even contributed to sequencing the Arabica coffee genome for the first time, continuing to reshape how coffee can grow, evolve, and thrive.