High-altitude coffee producers from the Santa Ana region swept the top honors at the prestigious Cup of Excellence El Salvador 2026 awards ceremony. Organised by the Salvadoran Coffee Institute, the competition evaluated 108 samples through a rigorous selection process judged by international experts. The event celebrated the resilience and heritage of local growers while highlighting El Salvador’s position as a premier source of world-class specialty coffee.
The competition’s highest honor went to Finca La Esperanza (Inversiones Santanalo S.A. de S.V.), which achieved an outstanding score of 91.95 in the washed, semi-washed, and honey category with a honey-processed Bernardina variety. In the natural category, Henri Milton Morales Umaña’s Finca Los Morales claimed first place with a 91.70 score for a Geisha lot. Meanwhile, José Alfredo Recinos Rivas of Finca San Andrés topped the experimental category, scoring 90.55 with an anaerobic natural Geisha.
During the gala, Mauricio Sansivirini, president of the Salvadoran Coffee Institute, praised the producers’ multi-generational dedication, stating that the event celebrates “the history, effort, resilience, and talent of Salvadoran producers who have turned coffee into part of our national identity.” Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Óscar Domínguez, also lauded the tight competition, emphasizing that “quality is the true seal of El Salvador.”
The ceremony also served as a platform for international diplomacy and business excellence, presenting special recognitions to the Embassies of Italy and South Korea for promoting Salvadoran coffee abroad. Additionally, Alquimia Coffee was honored as a global industry leader, currently ranked as the number two coffee shop across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
A total of eight Presidential Coffees—lots scoring 90 points or above on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale—were crowned during the event. These elite coffees will now headline the highly anticipated International Auction in July, giving specialized American and global buyers a exclusive opportunity to acquire El Salvador’s finest 2026 harvest.