People Possession Coffee: The Paris Project Redefining New Wave Specialty Coffee
Specialty coffee has always been about more than what's inside the cup.
It is about producers, varieties, processing, roasting, brewing and the relationships connecting every part of the coffee supply chain. But as specialty coffee continues to evolve, a new generation of roasters is also exploring how coffee can connect with culture, design, music and creativity.
People Possession is one of the most distinctive examples of that approach.
Based in Paris, France, People Possession is a specialty coffee project created by Alexis Gagnaire and Tony. The project approaches coffee less like a conventional roasting brand and more like a creative studio, combining carefully sourced coffees with art, music, collaborations and an unmistakably unconventional visual identity.
Its website describes the project through a playful manifesto, while its coffees are presented in distinctive aluminium cans rather than conventional specialty coffee bags. Behind that bold presentation, however, is a serious focus on sourcing, roasting and flavour.
People Possession works with washed coffees, experimental processes, co-fermented coffees and carefully selected blends. Its range can move from a clean Ethiopian washed coffee to a highly expressive experimental blend, giving coffee drinkers an opportunity to explore very different interpretations of specialty coffee.
At Speciality Coffee, we're excited to bring People Possession's distinctive approach to Canadian coffee drinkers.
Explore the People Possession collection at Speciality Coffee
For more specialty coffee stories, producer guides, brewing education and roaster profiles, visit the All About Speciality Coffee Blog.
The Story Behind People Possession
People Possession was created in Paris as a project built around a different way of thinking about specialty coffee.
Alexis Gagnaire brings extensive experience from the specialty coffee world, including competition experience and a background in sourcing and roasting. He placed third at the 2019 World AeroPress Championship and second at the 2021 French Coffee Roasting Championship, experiences that reflect a strong technical foundation behind the People Possession project.
Art, music, fashion and collaboration are incorporated into the brand's identity, while coffee remains at the center. The result is a project that feels deliberately different from conventional specialty coffee branding without compromising its focus on quality.
The company's own manifesto captures that personality particularly well.
Rather than presenting a traditional corporate explanation of coffee sourcing, People Possession offers a tongue-in-cheek “survival guide” encouraging coffee drinkers to carry their own beans and protect their coffee supply. Beneath the humour is a straightforward message: the team takes the quality of its coffee seriously.
That combination of humour, confidence and technical seriousness is central to the People Possession identity.
What Does “New Wave Coffee” Mean?
People Possession describes itself through the idea of New Wave Coffee.
The term is often used to describe a contemporary approach to specialty coffee that goes beyond simply roasting high-quality beans. It can include experimental processing, unusual varieties, creative blends, direct relationships with producers and a broader interest in coffee as culture.
People Possession fits naturally into this movement.
Its coffees include rare varieties, experimental fermentations and unusual blends, while the brand works with producers and coffee partners around the world.
Its product range currently includes coffees such as Gesha Aponte, Finca La Palma Washed Geisha, Essential Standards, T.T.M Alo Chilaka, Finca Deborah and several experimental blends.
This diversity is intentional.
Radical Sourcing and Producer Relationships
The visual identity might be unconventional, but sourcing is at the heart of People Possession.
The project seeks coffees with distinctive qualities and works with producers whose lots can support its approach to flavour and experimentation.
This can mean selecting exceptional single-origin coffees, rare varieties or coffees processed through unconventional fermentation techniques.
The result is a catalogue where the producer and processing method remain important parts of the story.
One coffee might highlight the clarity and floral character of a washed Ethiopian lot. Another may explore how fermentation and additional ingredients can transform the sensory experience.
Blending as a Creative Tool
One of the most interesting aspects of People Possession is its approach to blends.
In specialty coffee, blends have traditionally been associated with consistency. Roasters combine different coffees to create a dependable flavour profile that can be reproduced throughout the year.
People Possession takes a different approach.
Alexis Gagnaire has described blending as a way to create something new rather than simply maintaining consistency. The project uses different coffees as components in a larger flavour composition, treating blending as a creative process.
That philosophy can be seen throughout the People Possession catalogue.
Blends such as BAM — Blackberry and Mint, CAM — Coconut Alternative Movement, and PFX — Prime Flavor Experience are not designed to disappear into the background. Their names and flavour concepts are deliberately expressive.
This is one reason People Possession is particularly interesting for coffee drinkers who think they already know what a specialty blend should taste like.
The project challenges that expectation.
Experimental Processing and Bold Flavours
Modern specialty coffee has seen enormous growth in experimental processing.
Anaerobic fermentation, carbonic maceration, co-fermentation and other controlled techniques have given producers new ways to influence the flavour and aromatic character of coffee.
People Possession actively explores this side of coffee.
Its current and past selections include washed coffees alongside anaerobic, natural, co-fermented and other experimental processes.
This approach can produce coffees with unusually intense fruit, floral and fermented characteristics.
For example, the PFX blend combines Ethiopian washed coffees with Colombian Castillo processed through yellow-fruit co-fermentation. The result is designed around a deliberately expressive flavour experience rather than a traditional “balanced blend” formula.
For coffee enthusiasts, these coffees can be especially interesting because they demonstrate how much processing can influence the final cup.
The People Possession Can
One of the first things you'll notice about People Possession is the packaging.
Instead of traditional coffee bags, many of its coffees are packaged in distinctive aluminium cans.
The packaging is more than branding.
It contributes to the project's broader idea of treating coffee as an object connected to design and culture. People Possession's website presents its cans as part of its identity, while the changing artwork and collaborations make different releases feel like individual creative projects.
The format also creates a memorable contrast with conventional specialty coffee packaging.
You aren't simply picking up another bag of beans.
You're opening something that looks and feels different before you've even brewed the coffee.
That sense of discovery continues once the can is opened.
Coffee, Art, Music and Collaboration
People Possession doesn't treat collaboration as an occasional marketing exercise.
Collaboration is built into the project.
Its news archive documents partnerships with coffee shops, artists, fashion and lifestyle brands, as well as collaborations involving custom cans, clothing and special coffee releases. Recent collaborations have included Lodestar Coffee, Society Coffee, Café La Chance and Bakkerij Louf, among others.
These projects demonstrate how People Possession sees specialty coffee as part of a larger cultural ecosystem.
Coffee can be consumed in a café, brewed at home or presented alongside music and design.
A limited collaboration can therefore become more than a new coffee release. It can become an experience built around a particular place, community or creative idea.
This is a significant part of what separates People Possession from more conventional specialty coffee brands.
What Can You Expect in the Cup?
There isn't one single People Possession flavour profile.
And that's intentional.
The range can move between clean, floral washed coffees and much more intense experimental coffees.
A washed Ethiopian coffee may highlight citrus, jasmine and stone fruit. A Gesha can bring floral aromatics, delicate sweetness and a tea-like structure. Experimental blends can introduce fruit-forward, candy-like or fermentation-driven flavours.
The current Speciality Coffee collection reflects that range, with coffees including Gesha Aponte, Finca La Palma Washed Geisha, Essential Standards [APPLE], Essential Standards [BERRIES], CAM and BAM.
This makes People Possession particularly suitable for coffee drinkers who enjoy variety.
Rather than finding one house profile and staying there, you can move through different origins, varieties and processing techniques.
Each coffee becomes another experiment.
How to Brew People Possession Coffee
The best brewing method depends on the specific coffee.
For washed single-origin coffees and delicate varieties such as Gesha, pour-over brewing can be an excellent starting point.
A V60, Kalita Wave or similar brewer can emphasize clarity, acidity, sweetness and floral aromatics.
More expressive experimental coffees can also work beautifully as filter coffee, particularly when you want to explore the full range of their fruit and fermentation characteristics.
For omni-roast coffees, espresso can provide another perspective, concentrating sweetness and texture while reducing some of the lighter aromatic qualities.
The important thing is to treat the brewing recipe as a starting point rather than a fixed rule.
Use fresh coffee, quality water and a consistent grinder. Then adjust grind size, temperature and brew ratio according to the coffee's flavour.
With experimental coffees especially, don't be afraid to let the cup cool.
Temperature changes can reveal new flavours and aromas that aren't immediately obvious when the coffee is hot.
Why We Selected People Possession for Speciality Coffee
At Speciality Coffee, we look for roasters that have a clear point of view.
People Possession certainly does.
It combines careful sourcing with experimental processing, technical roasting with creative blending, and specialty coffee with art, music and design.
Most importantly, the creativity isn't limited to the packaging.
It continues into the coffees themselves.
A People Possession release might introduce you to a rare variety, a distinctive producer, an unusual fermentation method or a blend created specifically to produce a new flavour combination.
That makes the brand an exciting addition to a specialty coffee collection.
It also gives Canadian coffee drinkers the opportunity to experience a Paris-based project that has developed an identity well beyond conventional specialty coffee.
Discover People Possession at Speciality Coffee
People Possession is a reminder that specialty coffee doesn't have to fit neatly into one category.
It can be precise and playful.
Technical and creative.
Traditional in its respect for producers while experimental in its approach to processing and flavour.
From washed Ethiopian coffees and exceptional Geishas to experimental blends such as BAM, CAM and PFX, the range encourages coffee drinkers to explore the full spectrum of what modern specialty coffee can offer.
And that is perhaps the most interesting thing about People Possession.
It doesn't simply ask you to drink better coffee.
It asks you to experience coffee differently.
Explore People Possession Coffee at Speciality Coffee
For more coffee education, brewing guides and roaster stories, visit the All About Speciality Coffee Blog.
Frequently Asked Questions About People Possession Coffee
1. What is People Possession Coffee?
People Possession is a specialty coffee project based in Paris, France. It combines carefully sourced specialty coffees with experimental processing, creative blends, art, music and collaborations.
2. Who founded People Possession?
People Possession was created by Alexis Gagnaire and Tony. Alexis Gagnaire brings a background in specialty coffee, roasting and competition brewing to the project.
3. Where is People Possession based?
People Possession is based in Paris, France. The project works with producers and coffee partners internationally.
4. What does New Wave Coffee mean?
New Wave Coffee generally refers to a contemporary specialty coffee approach that embraces experimentation, distinctive varieties, innovative processing, creative sourcing and broader cultural connections. People Possession uses this concept as part of its identity.
5. Why does People Possession use cans?
The aluminium cans are a defining part of the brand's visual identity and its approach to presenting coffee as both a specialty product and a creative object. Its product catalogue features coffees packaged in distinctive cans.
6. Does People Possession offer single-origin coffees?
Yes. The range includes single-origin coffees such as Gesha Aponte, Finca La Palma Washed Geisha and various Ethiopian coffees, alongside blends and experimental releases.
7. Does People Possession use experimental processing?
Yes. Its range includes natural, washed, anaerobic and co-fermented coffees, among other experimental approaches.
8. What are People Possession blends like?
People Possession treats blending as a creative tool rather than simply a method for maintaining consistency. Blends such as BAM, CAM and PFX are designed around distinctive flavour combinations and experiences.
9. Where can I buy People Possession Coffee in Canada?
You can explore the current People Possession selection through Speciality Coffee, including Geisha, washed coffees, Essential Standards and experimental blends.
