New Mexico State University and Estas Manos Coffee Roasters have launched “A” Mountain Roast, the latest in NMSU’s growing line of collegiate-licensed products. Estas Manos, a grass-roots business based in San Francisco, Calif., has New Mexico roots and is currently operating in Las Cruces. A portion of the proceeds will support NMSU’s more than 400 student-athletes.

“A” Mountain Roast will be available for purchase online and at Estas Manos popup locations and Las Cruces retailers beginning Dec. 22, 2020. A special product launch will take place the same day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Spirit Winds in Las Cruces.

“The opportunity to work with Estas Manos, and the creation of ‘A’ Mountain Roast, is something I have been looking forward to for some time and a natural extension of our collegiate-licensed products,” said Mario Moccia, NMSU’s Director of Athletics. “With NMSU’s position as the state’s land-grant institution and our history of agriculture, the collaboration makes perfect sense. We encourage Aggie Nation to pick up a bag of ‘A' Mountain Roast and our alumni nationwide to order it online.”

Estas Manos Coffee Roasters was founded in 2018 by Nicholas Gonzales, along with his business partner, Leandra Gamboa. The company works to help farmers and farming communities in Latin America through sustainable coffee sourcing and production. Gamboa is from Las Cruces and a graduate of NMSU’s College of Business. She and Gonzales met in law school in San Francisco.

“We are thrilled to be working with NMSU on this collaboration. This roast is bold and finishes smooth and delicious,” Gonzales said. “We hope that when you try a cup of ‘A’ Mountain Roast, it sparks that Aggie spirit and brings you back to ‘A’ Mountain. It’s truly a landmark that unites the Aggie and Las Cruces communities, and we are honored to be offering this roast with NMSU.”

“A” Mountain Roast is named after one of NMSU’s proudest landmarks. Since the 1920s, the football field-sized “A” atop Tortugas Mountain has been maintained by the university. Each year, students give the “A” a fresh coat of paint that marks the beginning of a new spring semester, and rejuvenates Aggie pride and spirit.

"A," which stands for Aggie, sits atop Tortugas Mountain in New Mexico. (Photo courtesy of NMSU.)

“A” Mountain Roast is the latest in a string of new collegiate-licensed products from NMSU. Earlier this year, the university announced a collaboration with Lescombes Winery for the creation of Pistol Pete’s Crimson Legacy, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Additionally, Pistol Pete’s Six-Shooter, the first collegiate-licensed whiskey in the country, made in collaboration with Dry Point Distillers, has been a smashing success, selling out in a matter of days and currently has a waiting list for individuals seeking the next batch. Since 2017, NMSU has also worked with Bosque Brewing Company to create and launch Pistol Pete’s 1888 Ale. The beer went on to win a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival.

For more information about Estas Manos, visit: www.estasmanoscoffee.com/.

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