Kuntrawant: The Smugglers of the Coffee World

Hailing from the Vinschgau/Venosta, Kuntrawant do not have a 100% law-abiding background, but they have the international prizes to prove their expertise. You’ll be able to grab a cup of their award-winning brew at the bike festa – or rather: the gusto festa. 

What would life be without coffee? Let’s be honest: For us cyclists, it’s hard to imagine. And we aren't the only ones; there’s a reason coffee was once one of the most highly prized smuggled goods in the Alps and the Upper Vinschgau – where Italy, Austria, and Switzerland meet – was a notorious hotspot. 

In the local dialect, Kuntrawant is the word for smuggling, inspired by the Italian contrabbando. As a tribute to his local history, founder Josef Gander named his beans exactly that and chose as logo a smuggler’s hat pulled low over the face.

From Coffee House to Coffee Roaster

Josef Gander is from Prad in the Vinschgau. Any road cyclist who has tackled the 48 hairpins of the Stelvio Pass has likely pedaled right past the café where it all started. His family opened one of South Tyrol’s first true coffee houses in the heart of Prad back in 1968. Fast forward 40 years, and Josef and his brother Martin began building one of the region’s first roasting facilities on the floor above. 

In the early 2000s while travelling in the US, Josef noted that it wasn’t just small craft breweries popping up – local coffee roasteries were emerging too. Back in Europe, he trained up, sourced the equipment, and started working with his first beans. Above the family café, he tested, discarded, and refined. Initially, the beans were only intended for their own café, and the roasting operation was running in something of a legal grey area (then again, Kuntrawant was never exactly a by-the-book venture).

The problem was, his roasts tasted far too good. Friends and guests wanted more, and demand grew to the point where Josef took the leap to professional roaster – naming his coffee brand Kuntrawant, as a tribute to the Vinschgau’s border-crossing heritage.

STELVIO 48- your endurance espresso 

In 1953, Fausto Coppi made history on the Stelvio Pass – and Stelvio Endurance Espresso is an energetic tribute to this legend. Inspired by the legendary 48 hairpin bends, the Kuntrawant coffee roastery delivers pure energy straight to the start line. 48% premium Robusta – strong, full of character and with intense notes of dark chocolate. Made for cyclists. 

Pedal even harder, with even more energy and clear mental focus. It’s no coincidence that Gambero Rosso awarded the Stelvio 2025 the coveted ‘Tre Macinini’. This makes STELVIO 48 one of Italy’s finest espressos. And you can enjoy it in September at the bike festa in Brixen – ride on!