The Builds Are Back!
Plus, what the heck is a soup latte?!
Calling all Build-Outs
It’s here! It’s really here! The 2026 Build-Outs of Summer is upon us. Our annual summer series highlighting new cafes the world over is entering its astounding 17th season and we want to know whatcha got. If you have a cafe that has or will open any time during 2026, you could be part of this year’s crop of Builds. Submissions are now open! Click the link for more details.
The World’s Longest Tiramisu
“There is no such thing as too much tiramisu” is a belief I used to firmly hold. Then I learned about one that’s over a quarter mile long and I don’t know what I believe anymore. Created in London last month, the Guinness Book-recognized dessert is a staggering 440.6 meters long, or 1,445 feet, and consists of 150,000 savoiardi, 20,000 eggs, and nearly 100 liters of coffee.
How coffee helps you age better
Research into coffee and healthy has overwhelmingly shown it to be a net positive. But a new study finds one of the potential mechanisms leading to this effect, and it has nothing to do with caffeine. Turns out some compounds in coffee activate the NR4A1 receptor, a protein increasingly recognized for its role in aging, stress response and disease.
Standart goes vinyl
Print magazine Standart has teamed up with electronic duo Satoshi & Makoto for the release of the coffee publisher’s first ever vinyl. The album, titled Mirage Cafe, blends “ambient electronica and understated groove,” and Standart is releasing a limited run of green vinyl.
Is $9 a lot for a premium experience?
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has drawn the ire of the internet recently over comments about $9 coffees. In it he states that $9 for coffee is an “affordable premium experience” and many, many folks on social media and news publications decried the statement as being out of touch. But, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I agree with Niccol.
Press releases
From the press desk this week we learned about Bean & Brand, a new creative agency focusing on telling the story of specialty coffee businesses. Elsewhere, ColdPerk introduced the new Commissary 70, a high-capacity coffee extraction system engineered for roasters, commissaries, and beverage production environments.
Don't you know you're gonna shock the coffee
A new study from a team of University of Oregon researchers led by the esteemed Dr. Christopher Hendon takes a novel approach to assessing coffee that looks beyond TDS. Using a potentiostat, a tool commonly used in electrochemistry to test batteries and fuel cells, researchers would send a controlled volt of electricity through a brewed coffee sample and were able to accurately assess the roast level.
A podcast two-fer
It was a big week for the Coffee Sprudgecast, featuring not one but two episodes. The first finds hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talking about one of the more surprising additions to the World of Coffee San Diego showfloor. The Soup Latte. More soup than latte, it’s a micro-foamed milk, sippable soup type thing. And for those looking for more coffee-related content, the second is all about deconstructing the iconic vanilla latte. (And also coffee breath.)
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…
La Barba Coffee – Colombia Los Patios Solsticio
Joe Coffee Company – Cafè Feminista
Klatch Coffee – Limited Edition El Salvador Pacamara Black Honey
Blueprint Coffee – Kenya Gichathaini
Equator Coffees – Thailand Chaiprakarn Red Honey Single Origin Espresso
Night Swim Coffee – Colombia Yessica and Diego Parra
Stumptown Coffee Roasters — Wild Flower
8th & Roast — Ethiopia Ture Waji Badeyi
Partners Coffee — Honduras Edin Lopez
Phil & Sebastian – Sure Thing
Onyx Coffee Lab – Geometry
Madcap Coffee – Eureka
Olympia Coffee – Big Truck
Portland Coffee Roasters – Anniversary Roast
Mr. Espresso – Java Garut
Presta Coffee Roasters - Ethiopia Guji Hambela Benti Nenka Natural
PERC – Super Power Plum
Verve Coffee Roasters – Wilder Blend
Caffe Umbria – Bizzarri Blend
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Plaza House Coffee - Coffee Roaster Apprentice - Staten Island, NY
Pressed Cafe - Regional Barista Trainer - Boston, MA
Parisi Coffee - Cafe Manager - Overland Park, KS
Counter Culture Coffee - Regional Team, Technical Services - Miami, FL
Counter Culture Coffee - Regional Team, Technical Services - Atlanta, GA
Creature Coffee Co - Director of Hospitality - Austin, TX
Equator Coffees - Senior Director of Plant Operations & Manufacturing - San Rafael, CA
La Marzocco - Sales Coordinator - Seattle, WA
Bellwether Coffee - Coffee Advisor - Berkeley, CA
Olympia Coffee - Retail Director, Puget Sound - Olympia/Tacoma/Seattle, 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 PO Box 86342 Portland, OR 97286.