In the spring of 1988, while on a rainy day trek in the Rohrmoos, near Schladming, Austria, founder and Master Roaster, Christian Waskiewicz, was inspired with the vision to create Alpen Sierra Coffee Company in Lake Tahoe. Having spent much of his life living, skiing, and trekking in the Alps of Europe and the Sierra Nevada of California, Christian’s appreciation for mountain recreation, honest living, hard work, and a strong sense of community have become the foundation of Alpen Sierra.