Drink of the Week: Camber Coffee El Salvador Bernardina

End-of-the-year drinks conversations are generally dominated by what is served at sundown. There’s Champagne, celebratory beers, hot toddy tips, and more to discuss. But for me, the real revelatory moment of the past few weeks has been served at sunup, a special release from Imbibe 75 alum, Camber Coffee: El Salvador Bernardina. The Washington-based roaster has worked for years with the Pacas family in El Salvador and are among the small number of U.S. roasters to source the rare and limited Bernardina variety–discovered in 2008 on the Pacas’ Los Bellotos farm. This lot, grown on the El Retiro farm which has been owned by the family since 1927, is naturally processed and bagged in Camber’s 2021 Artist Series packaging. Aromatic nutty, umami depths begin each brew process, then transform into jasmine, cherry, and stone-fruit flavors in the cup. It’s a mind-opening way to start each day, and the perfect beginning to a new year. $40 for 8 oz., cambercoffee.com