The Sprudge Report - And The Winner Is...
The Sprudge Ultimate Coffee Bracket Challenge has been decided
Jim Seven Vs. V60
After two weeks and nearly half a million votes, it all comes down to this, the Final matchup of the Sprudge Ultimate Coffee Bracket Challenge. On this side, we've got the champion from the coffee drinks bracket, the V60. And on this side, the winner of the coffee influencers, the top seed, none other than James Hoffmann.
This was far and away the closest matchup. With thousands of votes cast in this matchup alone, the winner was decided by the thinnest or margins; only a few votes separated the two. They are of course both winners in our book, but who is the Bracketsprology winner? Click the article for the final standings.
A coffee guide to Zagreb
There’s an intrepid feeling to Croatia’s capital city. It’s a place where Nikola Tesla statues hulk in a plaza minutes from Michelin Guide-rated pizza destinations. An almost ethereal feeling lingers over the stoney streets, as downtown malls hum with shoppers beneath the cloudy skies. Zagreb is a place that must be witnessed since, the coffee in the city alone makes that case. This week on Sprudge, contributor Paolo Bicchieri takes us on a coffee tour of Zagreb.
Tommy Cash wants another Espresso Macchiato (video)
Tommy Cash’s Espresso Macchiato is the coffee-centered pop song of the summer. The song that will represent Estonia at Eurovision in a few months is already a viral sensation, racking up more than 15 million plays on YouTube and Spotify. And now, Cash has put out a second music video for it, because the first one wasn’t sufficiently weird I’m guessing. But don’t worry, this one is definitely weird and as catchy as ever.
Cuppings and bowls at Higher Ground in Los Angeles
It’s wake and bake time tomorrow in Los Angeles, as The Woods Weho—Woody Harrelson’s West Hollywood dispensary—is launching their new coffee shop next door, Cafe Woods, with a coffee and cannabis cupping titled Higher Ground: An Exploration Of Coffee And Cannabis. And hoo boy is there going to be a lot of both. Click here for more details or to get tickets.
Leave Pedro alone!
Pedro Pascal’s bananas coffee order is back in the news again. In 2023 it was revealed that the actor drink of choice is six shots of espresso over ice. Two years later, it has resurfaced. Pascal is doing a press tour ahead of season two of The Last of Us on HBO, and of course, his coffee proclivities came up. It raises a question: Should coffee professionals protect the privacy of a patron’s personal preferences?
It’s all a matter of Tāst
There’s a new coffee brand in Washington, DC, and it’s looking to disrupt the coffee scene. Founded by three visionary Black artists—Reggie Black, a multimedia artist and designer; Obiekwe Okolo, a photographer and creative director; and Jason Reynolds, a New York Times bestselling author—tāst is online, direct-to-consumer specialty coffee brand built on disruption, irreverence, and cultural inclusion. In a Sprudge exclusive, tāst co-founder sit down with Brian Gaffney to tell us more about the budding enterprise.
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…
PERC – Colombia Los Nogales Yellow Bourbon
Equator Coffees – Decaf Ethiopia Suke Quto Natural
THE BARN – Colombia Diego Horta Anaerobic
Dune Coffee Roasters – Ecuador Hacienda La Papaya Anaerobic Sidra
Madcap Coffee – Rwanda Ejo Heza
Pachamama Coffee – Perú
Passenger Coffee – Colombia Lucas Melo
Heartwood – Ethiopia Bekele Kachara - Murago Natural
Klatch Coffee – El Salvador Las Mercedes La Avila Icatu Honey
Partners Coffee – Colombia Vladimir Calambás
Phil & Sebastian – Colombia Jose Cuellar Pink Bourbon & Bourbon Aji
Night Swim Coffee – Ethiopia Nano Genji #6
La Barba Coffee – Ecuador Pepe Jijon Typica Wave
Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Hair Bender
Sightglass Coffee Roasters – Spring Equinox
Olympia Coffee – Colombia San Sebastian Reserva
Mr. Espresso – Java Gunung Tikukur, Washed Process
Verve Coffee Roasters – Kenya Gura AA
Onyx Coffee Lab – Colombia Tio Conejo Gesha Natural
Joe Coffee – Honduras Rubí Sisters Catuaí
CXFFEEBLACK – Fruit Of Our Labor
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Better Brands - Tech Apprentices, East & West - New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA
Better Brands - Head of Service - New York, NY
Better Brands - Service Technicians, East & West - New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA
Passenger Coffee - Lead Production Assistant - Lancaster, PA
Klatch Coffee - Sales Executive - Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Klatch Coffee - Controller- Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Coava Coffee Roasters - Roastery Retail Barista - Portland, OR
Fairtrade America - Senior Business Development Manager - Washington, DC
Falcon Coffees - North America Specialty Sales - Austin, TX
Coava Coffee Roasters - Sales Support Analyst - Portland, OR
Equator Coffees - Shift Lead - Menlo Park, CA
Equator Coffees - Shift Lead - Burlingame, CA
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.