Ciao Florence!
And just so much new coffee gear
Sprudge in Florence!
Join us on Thursday, February 22nd at Accademia del Caffe Espresso, for a special presentation of But First, Coffee, the new book from the founders of Sprudge. Co-founder Jordan Michelman will join the hospitality team at Accademia—a visitors center, museum, and working traditional manufacturing studio dedicated to the art of espresso coffee—for a rousing afternoon of coffee drinks, cuisine, a lively Q&A and some very fun surprises.
A Sprudgie Finalist for good reason
This week as part of our Sprudge Maps Spotlight series, we check in with Nashville’s Now And Then, a 12-seat experiential cafe highlighting some of the best Scandinavian-style roasters in the world. There’s no Wifi, no to-go or standing room, and the 5,000 vinyl on hand set the mood for a coffee drinking experience that focuses on the coffee. It’s pretty easy to see why Now And Then was a Sprudgie Finalist for Best New Cafe this year.
Superb Owl commercials
The Super Bowl took place on Sunday as did the annual ritual of companies spending millions of dollars on ad spots. And as they have increasing been doing, coffee brands got in on the fun. There was that weird Dunkin’ commercial, but the really madlib came from SToK Cold Brew, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and a professional soccer club (and its famous actor owners). It’s actually a pretty fun commercial, in that very Super Bowl over-stuffed sort of way.
What is a coffee cupping?
If you’ve spent much time in or around a specialty coffee company, you’ve no doubt heard of a coffee company, but what is it exactly? In the latest edition of our Explainer series, editor Liz Clayton takes a deep dive on what goes on in a coffee cupping, what it’s used for, and how it differs from wine tasting (and how it’s similar).
Giesen Profiler 2.0
Roaster manufacturer Giesen announced this week the release of their newest software, Giesen Profiler 2.0. Per the brand, it “stands for a complete reimagination of the software, driven by collaboration with coffee roasters to meet their evolving needs. The result is a user-centric platform designed to enhance functionality and user-friendliness, elevating the coffee roasting experience to new heights.”
Cxffeeblack is raising money for a cafe
Sprudgie Award winner for Notable Roaster Cxffeeblack is on the move again, this time by opening up a new cafe and roasting space in Memphis. The brand is currently seeking funding, and has taken to WeFunder to do so, offering backers equity in the company.
So much new gear
We could barely stay on top of all the new coffee gear that we found this week. An entire counter’s worth even! First, we learned of the WeighMaster by MantaBrew, a modular scale with some of the most interesting updates to the scale since the release of the iconic Acaia Pearl. Then, Slow Pour Supply announced the Kimera, a patented three-spout milk pitcher for precision latte art pours that’s soon to be on pre-sale. Not to be outdone, La Marzocco released a redesigned Linea Mini. With an updated aesthetic, the new Linea Mini has a lot of new features under the hood to match the beefier look.
Talking Sprudgies
On the newest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about the winners of the 15th Annual Sprudgie Awards, all while drinking the newest iteration of the Wilder Blend from Verve Coffee Roasters in California.
Roaster’s Village
We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partners each week here in the newsletter. This week’s selection of tasty coffees are…
Amavida Coffee Roasters: Rosendo Domingo—This limited release reserve series Guatemala comes to us from Rosendo Domingo and his farm, Palanch’en. We found this premium lot to be very approachable with notes of red grape, molasses and raisin in the cup.
Camber Coffee Roasters: Colombia Las Flores Sidra—This Sidra lot from the Las Flores farm in Huila is a cornucopia of potent botanical flavors. Aromatically, the cup is heavily floral with notes of rose and jasmine mingling with dried orange peel and clove. In the cup, we taste syrupy notes of peach nectar, cooked pear, kiwi, and woodsy pine.
Cxffeeblack : Congo Free—Guji Mane Diaspora Collection // CONGO FREE: CONGO WASHED PROCESS /// a mighty peace junt- A portion of the proceeds goes to support Congolese liberation and the farmers who produce this African fruit.
Equator Coffees: Costa Rica La Lia Yellow Typica—Grown at high altitude and red honey-processed with care, this coffee comes to us from our longtime producer partners: Luis and Oscar Monge of Finca El Dragon and La Lia Mill. Enjoy this ever-flavorful coffee that has complex, sweet, and concentrated flavors of star fruit, white grape, and agave.
Greater Goods Roasting: Rung’eto PB—Rarely has a coffee release synced up with the start of a season quite like this one. Hailing from Kirinyaga County in central Kenya, this peaberry lot is the warm, comforting, hot cocoa in front of the fire – the spirit of winter in coffee form. Peaberry makes up about 10% of Kenya’s coffee export and is highly sought out for its depth of sweetness and a thick, syrupy body. You can enjoy your winter days with notes of golden apple, black treacle, and red currant jam.
Joe Coffee: Colombia La Familia Guarnizo—This coffee comes to us through a strong relationship between Joe Coffee and the El Paraiso growers’ association in Huila, Colombia. This bright and light-bodied selection was grown by a special group of El Paraiso’s member farmers: the Guarnizo family. Featuring notes of stone fruit and almonds with a medium acidity, this coffee is a customer favorite.
Madcap Coffee Company: Lake Effect—Lake Effect is inspired by the bright and sunny glimpses we experience during some of Michigan’s harshest winter days. To achieve such a profile, this year’s Lake Effect is an equal blend of coffee from three producers in East Africa. The delicate final cup promises us that spring is just in the distance, with notes of blood orange, apricot, and elderflower.
Monogram Coffee: Trifle —Four different coffees have been layered (like a trifle!) to create a unique brewing experience where the flavours will mingle and change as you brew through the bag. As you enjoy Trifle, you’ll work your way through: a spicy anaerobic marsellesa natural from Costa Rica, a fermented honey processed castillo from Colombia, a delicious chiroso caturra natural, and a fermented honey processed castillo from Colombia.
Night Swim Coffee: Blue Orchid – Sumatra—This is a semi-washed or “wet-hulled” coffee from Sumatra, Indonesia. It’s fruity-sweet, tropical, and finishes like one of our favorite candy bars. We’re thrilled to offer this first installment in our initiative to highlight underrepresented coffee growing regions!
Olympia Coffee: Jose Landaverde Gesha Natural—One of the world’s most sought-after varietals, grown in one of Central America’s finest regions. Jose Landaverde Gesha Natural underwent a 60-hour anaerobic fermentation before drying in the natural method, yielding coffee deeply imbued with tropical-fruit sweetness and balanced with smooth, full-bodied flavor.
Onyx Coffee Lab : Framily—We are excited to release our seventh edition of this heartwarming Holiday coffee that embodies the joy of spending time with friends and family. This washed coffee from Banko Gotiti is a developed medium roast creating complex cocoa notes mixed with sweet berry cobbler-like flavors. Designed to accommodate the coffee nerd or the heavy-handed cream and sugar in-laws… you’re welcome, my friends.
Partners Coffee: Ethiopia – Meselech Tube—Meselech Tube tends a three hectare farm in Sidama where she focuses her attention on high quality naturals. She is among a growing cohort of coffee farmers in Ethiopia whose production is available in isolation, traceable all the way to the farm itself. This lot is a classic representation of Sidama’s naturals—we taste syrupy strawberry, blueberry, banana, and black tea.
PERC: Guatemala Gerson Martinez Gesha—This Gesha from our old friend Gerson Martinez blew us away on the tasting table. It was sweet, fruity, and a layered complexity that revealed itself in waves. If you’re a fan of exciting coffees that expand your mind, you should get your hands on some of this sweet nectar. We only sourced a limited amount of this coffee, so snag some while you can!
Portland Coffee Roasters: Bridge Blend—This Limited Release is a blend of coffees from Guatemala and Peru. The Guatemala is from Maya Ixil, and the Peru is from the Pueblo Libre and Mamahuaca communities. When we cup this coffee it is floral and herbal, with hints of sugar cane and chocolate.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Colombia Huayku—A beloved coffee at Stumptown since 2013, Huayku is grown and produced by the Federación Abades—a group of over 200 smallholder coffee producers—in the mountainous region of Nariño. This year’s lot is a complex cup layered with tropical fruit, orange zest, and creamy milk chocolate.
Verve Coffee Roasters: Colombia Gabriel Castaño Pink Bourbon Single Origin Espresso—Decadent notes of fudge and molasses melt throughout Gabriel Castaño’s anaerobic-washed Colombia Pink Bourbon, rounded out by hints of strawberry as a sweet treat.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Gold Mountain Coffee Growers - Logistics & Marketing Associate - Washington, DC
Gold Mountain Coffee Growers - Finance & Logistics Associate - Washington, DC
Covoya Specialty Coffee - Quality Control Associate - Healdsburg, CA
Onyx Coffee - Account Executive - Bellingham, WA
Do you have a news tip? Feedback? A funny joke? Send us an e-mail, use the contact form on Sprudge, leave a message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE, or send us a letter at P.O. Box 3943 Portland, OR 97218.