What is Mountain Water Decaffeination?

Mountain Water Decaffeination is a proprietary water-based process developed in 1981, carried out exclusively by Descamex in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico. It uses water sourced from the glacial peaks of Pico de Orizaba to extract caffeine from green coffee without chemical solvents - working on the same osmotic principle as the Swiss Water Process.

The process: green beans are soaked in water already saturated with coffee's soluble flavour compounds but stripped of caffeine, creating conditions for caffeine alone to migrate out. The caffeine-laden water is filtered through activated charcoal, regenerated, and used for the next batch.

Mountain Water carries organic certification and is kosher and halal certified. For specialty roasters wanting a chemical-free decaf option with a specific, traceable producer story rather than a generic Swiss Water lot, it's worth knowing. It's available through select specialty importers rather than as a mainstream commodity, which is part of its appeal.