Gorilla Coffee, the house brand of the Joerges family roastery
Gorilla Coffee is the house brand of the A. Joerges coffee roastery from Obertshausen near Frankfurt, founded in 2004 and popular throughout Europe. The Hühsam family roasts their beans by variety using a gentle, long-term drum roasting process, following the motto "Good coffee for everyone."
Gorilla Coffee stands for uncomplicated, strong coffee enjoyment from one of Germany's oldest roasteries. The brand is backed by the family-run roastery A. Joerges, which has been trading and roasting coffee since 1847 and now refines its beans in Obertshausen near Frankfurt. Four varieties, one promise: good coffee that always succeeds – whether in a portafilter, a fully automatic machine, or a moka pot.
In Frankfurt since 1847, Gorilla since 2004
The Joerges story began in 1847, when the Frankfurt-based company started trading in fine delicacies from around the world and survived wars and crises over the decades. It is said that the region could always rely on "their Joerges."
In 1982, the Hühsam family took over the nearly 150-year-old company. Heinz Hühsam, himself a grocer and long-time customer, recognized its potential and continued it as a family business. He focused the business on coffee trading and roasting, initially primarily through the Minas Kaffee brand and the EffEff catering line.
His sons, Andreas and Peter Hühsam, took over the management and launched the house brand Gorilla in 2004, exactly as Andreas envisioned it: good coffee for every day. The gorilla in the logo represents strength and enjoyment, as well as a connection to nature and serenity.
In 2012, the roastery moved to a modern site in Obertshausen, which later evolved from a simple factory outlet into a small world of coffee discovery: the Gorilla Store. In addition to coffee, a line of other products was created there, along with a tangible piece of the brand's home. Today, Roman and Tim Hühsam run the family business – young in appearance, but rich in experience. What remains is the motto that started it all.
Four varieties, from floral to bold
Gorilla Coffee offers four varieties as whole beans in 1kg bags, each tailored to a specific preparation method and taste profile – from floral Arabica to spicy Robusta. Fruity, spicy, chocolaty – the range covers a wide spectrum.
The Crema No. 1, with 100 percent highland Arabica from Central and South America, is the gentle, floral entry-level choice, medium-roasted and refined in acidity. The green Kaffeehaus Mischung, made from 70 percent Arabica and 30 percent Robusta, is the mild classic for a long cup, perfect for Caffè Crème, Schümli, and filter coffee.
Things get bolder with the red Superbar Crema, made from 80 percent Arabica and 20 percent Robusta – a chocolaty-nutty all-rounder with a fawn-colored crema and a subtle honey note in the finish. The most intense is the silver Bar Crema, a pure Robusta blend that is spicy, dark-roasted, and strong enough to stand out even through plenty of milk.
This way, everyone finds their favorite coffee – one person prefers a quiet morning espresso, another a full cappuccino, and a third a relaxed pot in the afternoon. At the end of 2023, Gorilla gave all varieties a fresh packaging design, making the characters distinguishable at a glance through the colors black, green, red, and silver.
Roasted by variety using a long-term drum process
At Joerges, each variety of bean is roasted individually before the blends are combined – using the classic drum process, which is gentle and slow.
Depending on the variety, the beans mature in the drum for between 12 and 20 minutes at 180 to 220 degrees. The longer and gentler this process, the rounder the aromas, flavor nuances, and color develop, and the softer the acidity remains in the coffee. The reason for separate roasting is simple: Arabica beans are usually larger than Robusta beans and require different times and temperatures so that each reaches its ideal roast level.
Only then are the beans combined into the characteristic blends – experience, craftsmanship, and a pinch of passion are the deciding factors. Roasting master Alexandr Beldnov oversees every batch, knowing the specific profile of every bean variety. This gives each Gorilla variety its own personality: full body, mild or bold taste, soft or firm crema – depending on how you prefer to drink your coffee.
The raw beans come from the world's most important cultivation regions – highland Arabicas from Central and South America, for example, and the bold Robustas from Asia and Africa. Before roasting, they are carefully cleaned and checked throughout the entire refinement process. In the end, you can taste this care in every cup: balanced, clean, and without any harsh edges.
Good coffee for everyone, and for the cultivation regions
"Good coffee for everyone," as Heinz Hühsam once put it – making the best coffee available, far beyond Frankfurt. Gorilla Coffee still carries this promise today, from the factory outlet to the fully automatic machines in European offices and kitchens.
For the family, this also includes responsibility. As a family business in the global coffee market, Joerges primarily supports the work of the Mondberge initiative and its sustainability and social projects in some of the regions where their beans originate. Good coffee should be right, both where it is consumed and where it is grown.
The fact that this approach works is shown by its reach: a regional Frankfurt roastery has become a brand that coffee lovers across Europe swear by. Almost 180 years after its founding, Joerges is still what it was in 1847 – a house you can rely on, now run by several generations of the same family.
Every variety has its hour
Within the Gorilla range, every variety has its moment – and we are impressed by how reliably each one maintains its character, from the first sip to the last.
The floral Crema No. 1 is particularly lovely as a quiet morning espresso, while the mild Kaffeehaus Mischung is perfect for a long cup in the afternoon when guests are over. When things need to be bolder, we reach for the chocolaty-nutty Superbar Crema, and if the coffee needs to hold its own through plenty of milk, we go for the spicy Bar Crema in a cappuccino.
As a gift for coffee lovers, a kilo of whole beans is always a delight. And anyone who tries several varieties side-by-side will quickly find out which Gorilla suits which time of day and which machine best.
If you would like to explore, you can find all varieties bundled in our Coffee and Espresso category. Try them out – good coffee for everyone applies to us, too.
