Who we are
My name is Alina Candal, and The Common Blue is more than a brand — it is a reflection of my life.
I was born in Costa Rica, a place where coffee is not a business but a lifeline. Growing up among mountains and rich soils, I learned early that coffee was part of our culture, our families, and our care for the land.
As my journey took me further — to London’s relentless energy and Singapore’s unique balance of tradition and modernity — coffee never left my side. It was the spark behind long nights of work, the quiet ritual of early mornings, and the connection I found in cafés across continents.
Coffee taught me resilience when life demanded strength. It gave me clarity after moments of struggle. It became my companion in a life shaped by travel, ambition, and health challenges that reminded me of the fragility — and the power — of the choices we make every day.
For me, coffee is health, it is creativity, and it is style. It is how I ground myself in a world that moves quickly, and how I connect with others across cultures. That is why I created The Common Blue: to share coffee not as a product, but as a way of living with clarity and purpose.
Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is where I learned that quality matters more than quantity. Unlike vast plantations in other countries, our farmers dedicate themselves to excellence, harvesting smaller volumes with meticulous care.
It is also a country that made extraordinary choices. We abolished our army in 1948, redirecting resources into universal healthcare and education. We protected more than 30% of our land by law, preserving forests, rivers, and biodiversity. These values shaped me — and they shape the way Costa Rican coffee is grown.
When you drink coffee from Costa Rica, you taste the richness of volcanic soils and diverse microclimates. But more importantly, you taste a philosophy: respect for people, for nature, and for future generations. This is coffee that is ethical not because of a certification, but because it is lived every day by the communities who grow it.
Our Philosophy.
The Common Blue was built to bring clarity back to coffee.
When I travelled, I saw the same problem everywhere: blends that mixed origins into anonymity, brands that made coffee unnecessarily complicated, and marketing that focused on volume over meaning.
I wanted to strip coffee back to its essence. One country. Three roasts.
Light: bright and fresh, for mornings of focus.
Medium: smooth and balanced, for everyday rhythm.
Dark: bold and strong, for long nights and resilience.
That’s it. Coffee made simple, without confusion.
The butterfly is our symbol because it represents transformation and ecological health. The Blue Morpho of Costa Rica and the Common Rose of Singapore are reminders that beauty and strength come from respecting nature, not exploiting it.
Every coffee cup.
A conscious choice.
For me, coffee is not only about how it tastes, but about the impact it creates. Every bag of The Common Blue supports farmers in Costa Rica, strengthens communities, and contributes to protecting ecosystems that are among the most biodiverse on Earth.
The way we choose our coffee is a reflection of the way we choose to live. When we support quality over volume, ethics over exploitation, clarity over confusion, we are shaping a world that is healthier and more resilient.
The Common Blue is my way of proving that business can serve both people and planet, and that a daily ritual like coffee can be both luxurious and responsible.
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This is our journey, and we invite you to be part of it.
Join the First Roast Club Limited Edition and experience coffee with clarity, quality, and consciousness.