About Kicking Horse
Kicking Horse Coffee started in 1996 when Elana Rosenfeld and Leo Johnson sold their first pound of coffee out of a garage in Invermere, British Columbia, after running a local café and finding nothing good to brew nearby. The company built its lineup -- Kick Ass, Three Sisters, Grizzly Claw, Cliff Hanger Espresso, Smart Ass, and a Swiss Water Process decaf among them -- around certified organic, Fairtrade, and Kosher sourcing, and it grew into Canada's top-selling certified organic, fair-trade coffee brand while still roasting in the Rocky Mountains.
That growth caught the attention of Italy's Lavazza Group, which acquired an 80% stake in Kicking Horse in 2017 at a company valuation of $215 million, with Rosenfeld staying on as CEO and retaining the remaining share. Kicking Horse has also been Great Place to Work Certified and named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada every year since 2015. On our own cupping table, that reputation held up on both ends of the roast spectrum -- the Kick Ass dark roast pulled chocolate malt, molasses, and a whisper of smoke without tipping into burnt bitterness, and the Three Sisters medium roast balanced cocoa and marzipan sweetness against a lively dried-fruit brightness.
Brand website: kickinghorsecoffee.com
What Kicking Horse makes
Kicking Horse's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Kick Ass Dark Roast
whole bean and ground -- our top pick for a craft dark roast — featured on Brew Gazette
Three Sisters Medium Roast
whole bean and ground -- our top pick for a bright, balanced medium — featured on Brew Gazette
Cliff Hanger Espresso Roast
whole bean, built for espresso extraction
Grizzly Claw Extra Dark Roast
whole bean and ground, the deepest roast in the lineup
Smart Ass Medium-Light Roast
whole bean and ground
Decaf Dark Roast
Swiss Water Process decaffeination, whole bean and ground
Why we recognized Kicking Horse
The Brew Gazette Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Kicking Horse earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, brewed with daily, and judged on what lands in the cup.
Kicking Horse products we rated highly
Kicking Horse Kick Ass Dark Roast Whole Bean
A dark roast built with real craft behind it -- in our testing it pulled chocolate malt, molasses, and a whisper of smoke, deep and rich without tipping into the burnt bitterness that plagues cheap dark beans. It's certified organic, Fairtrade, and Kosher, blended from Indonesian and South American lots, and its heavy, oily body makes it a natural match for a French press.
Read the 10 Best Coffee Beans of 2026 guide →
Kicking Horse Three Sisters Medium Roast Whole Bean
A bright, balanced medium blended across African, Indonesian, and American lots for genuine complexity rather than commodity flatness. In our testing it read as layered and lively -- cocoa and marzipan sweetness against a dried-fruit brightness, with enough acidity to feel alive without turning sharp. It's certified organic, Fairtrade, and Kosher, and versatile enough to shine through pour-over, drip, and French press alike.
Read the 10 Best Coffee Beans of 2026 guide →What earned Kicking Horse the recognition
- A top pick in two separate blends within BrewGazette's coffee beans coverage -- Kick Ass Dark Roast and Three Sisters Medium Roast -- covering both ends of the roast spectrum.
- Certified organic, Fairtrade, and Kosher across its lineup, sourced from Indonesian, South American, and African lots rather than a single commodity blend.
- Founded in 1996 out of a garage in Invermere, British Columbia by Elana Rosenfeld and Leo Johnson, and grew into Canada's top-selling certified organic, fair-trade coffee brand while still roasting in the Rocky Mountains.
- Real external validation beyond the coffee itself: Italy's Lavazza Group acquired an 80% stake in 2017 at a $215 million valuation, and the company has been Great Place to Work Certified and named one of the Best Workplaces in Canada every year since 2015.
- On our own cupping table, both blends backed up the reputation -- the dark roast delivered chocolate-and-molasses depth without burnt bitterness, and the medium roast held a lively cocoa-and-marzipan balance.