The holiday list, by who is on it
The easiest holiday coffee gift is a seasonal blend from a roaster in this state, and two of the roasters we list make one. After that, match the bag to the person: a rare coffee for the one who has everything, decaf for the dinner host, and a big bag for the house that fills up in December.
Every product below is one the roaster lists on its own site, as we read it on September 27, 2026. Holiday coffees come and go, so check the roaster's shop before you plan around one. We give no prices, because we did not record them. Our own year-round gift guide, with samplers, classes and subscriptions, is Boston gifts from local roasters; this page sticks to the season.
Seasonal blends made for December
Atomic in Peabody lists two seasonal blends, Holiday Blend and Merry and Bright. Atomic roasts every batch to order and packs it by hand, and its buying team includes three licensed Q Graders.
Indigo in Northampton sells a Holiday Blend too. Indigo roasts only to order, in small batches, and has called Western Massachusetts home for more than 25 years. It asks retail buyers to order through its website or the local stores that carry it, so a Pioneer Valley shop that stocks Indigo is a good place to pick one up.
For something with winter in the name, Speedwell in Plymouth makes a blend called Nor'Easter and a decaf version of it, and Dean's Beans in Orange sells Arctic Sunrise and Full Moon among its blends.
If the holidays take you to the Cape, Snowy Owl keeps its seasonal espresso bar at 483 Main Street in Chatham open through Chatham's First Night celebration on New Year's Eve. A bag bought there on New Year's Eve is the last Cape Cod coffee of the year from a Cape Cod roaster, and a good way to start the next one.
One splurge bag for the person who has everything
A single bag of a famous coffee makes a good present when the rest of the gift is small.
- Mike Shea's in Bridgewater lists a Jamaica Blue Mountain Estate, and offers most of its origins in both a medium and a dark roast.
- Armeno in Northborough lists a Yemen Mocha Sanani and a Cafe Kreyol Haitian Blue among its single origins.
- George Howell Coffee in Acton has sold Yemen microlots such as Bani Murrah and Hejrat Al Ain, and an El Injerto Red Pacamara from Guatemala.
Rare lots sell out, so if one of these is gone, ask the roaster what it would pick instead. Add a note on where it was roasted: Bridgewater, Northborough or Acton means more to someone from here than a country on a label.
Decaf for after dinner
Holiday dinners run late, and a good decaf is a kind gift for the host. Jaho in Salem makes three Swiss Water decafs; the dark one, Velvet Hour, suits a dessert table. Swiss Water draws the caffeine out of the green beans with water and activated carbon filters instead of a chemical solvent, which some guests will ask about. Barrington in Lee sells water process decaf versions of its Gold and Berkshire blends and a Decaf French made from an organic Honduran coffee. Dean's Beans sells an NYSUT Blend Decaf, and part of its sales goes to New York State United Teachers.
A big bag for a full house
When the family is staying for a week, a 12 oz bag goes fast, and a big bag from a local roaster is a better host gift than one more candle. Mike Shea's sells 5 lb bulk bags. Esselon in Hadley gives a discount on bulk coffee. Indigo lets you collect bulk orders of 5 pounds or more at its Northampton roastery if you call ahead, though the roastery is closed on weekends. For a holiday brunch, Fazenda in Dedham roasts a Flour Bakery Dark Roast, the dark roast served in Flour's cafes.
Our gift, for the new year
This part is ours. A Bay State Coffee Club gift is a run of boxes, each with a 12 oz bag from a different Massachusetts roaster: 3 boxes for $66.99, 6 for $134.99 or 12 for $269.99, shipping included. You pay once and it does not renew. Because you choose the start date, you can give it on the holiday and have the first box arrive after the decorations come down, when the seasonal bags are finished. You also pick the roast and the grind, and a gift note is optional. See the gift options.
Why give local this season
A holiday bag from Peabody, Northampton or Bridgewater pays the people who roasted it, in their own town, and it reaches your table after a short trip from the roaster. Mike Shea's gives back to the Bridgewater library, police and fire departments; Dean's Beans is owned by the 14 people who roast and ship its coffee. Why Massachusetts roasters matter.
Sources
- Products, decaf methods and roaster facts: our roaster profiles for Atomic, Indigo, Speedwell, Dean's Beans, Mike Shea's, Armeno, George Howell Coffee, Jaho, Barrington, Esselon and Fazenda, written from each roaster's public pages and checked September 27, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Decaffeination: how the Swiss Water and other water-based methods work.
- Gift prices and terms: Bay State Coffee Club.
Roasters named here are local favorites we list. A listing does not mean a roaster is part of the club, and no roaster pays to be listed.
By Joe McRose, Bay State Coffee Club. Updated .