Lost Origin Lot 154-Las Margaritas

Franz, the founder of Lost Origin, previously ran an award-winning craft beer company. Living in Panama, a country renowned for producing some of the world’s finest Geisha coffees, he was inspired to explore fermentation in coffee using his background in brewing.

He began sourcing coffee cherries from local farmers and transporting them to the second floor of his brewery, where he applied fermentation techniques and philosophies from the craft beer world. This innovative approach became the foundation of a new brand called Lost Origin, symbolizing a “lost origin” of coffee growing—yet infused with a fermentation process that creates a distinct sensory experience.

The early days of the brand were far from smooth. Few farmers were willing to collaborate with him. But Franz wasn’t trying to dismiss the hard work of the producers—instead, he used refined microbial cultures to help identify and amplify the native microorganisms unique to each farm, enhancing the precision and quality of fermentation. After a year of persistence, he gradually gained the trust of farmers. In the second year, a competitor using his coffee won the World Brewers Cup (WBrC) championship.

That victory brought instant international attention to Lost Origin. Today, the brand produces only 2,000 kilograms of coffee annually, making it extremely rare. Franz plans to cap production at 4,000 kilograms, knowing that exceeding this would overwhelm the capacity of his current fermentation facility. We’re thrilled to share Franz’s coffee here at Oasis, a coffee created by someone with an uncompromising pursuit of excellence.

Lost Origin Coffee Lab

Lost Origin Coffee Lab is a Panama-based coffee processing lab that applies craft beer fermentation techniques to coffee. Through carefully controlled fermentation in a specialized environment, they create distinctive and high-quality flavor profiles that push the boundaries of coffee innovation.