The Sprudge Report - And The Winners Are
Plus a deep dive on tariffs.
The 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards Winners and Honorees
Welcome to the announcements for the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards, honoring the very best in coffee. Nominees for each category were chosen by a worldwide public ballot, which took place over a multi-week period, including open nominations and finalist ballots. Congratulations to all the nominees—to us, every single finalist was a winner. Here are the winners, honorees, and finalists for the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards.
SCA news
Lots of news coming from the Specialty Coffee Association over the last week, including the announcement that San Diego will host the 2026 SCA Expo, which will no longer be called Expo, thanks to another announcement. The American trade show has been rebranded to align with its global counterparts and will now be World of Coffee. The first US WoC will be home to the World Latte Art Championship, while WoC Panama was announced as the host of the 2026 World Barista Championship.
Espresso on (and in) vinyl
Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song Espresso turned one recently, and to celebrate, the pop singer released a limited edition vinyl of the single that has coffee inside the record itself. The brown liquid floats freely within the clear vinyl and it’s maybe the coolest pressing ever to exist.
The only Houston guide you’ll ever need
SCA Expo is taking place in Houston, Texas in less than two weeks’ time, and in a city big and sprawling as Houston, you may need a little help finding all the great food and drink options (of which there are so so many). Luckily for us all, there is David Buehrer. A diehard Houston homer with a deep love and knowledge of all things food and beverage, Buehrer is the person you call if you want about 80 recommendations on what to do. That’s why we reached out to him to help us create an expansive guide on what to eat and drink when you are in Houston for Expo (or any time really, because it’s going to take more than a weekend to even scratch the surface of this list).
Kickstartin’ the party
A couple of cool coffee Kickstarters came our way this week. First up is the Coffeejack. It’s a compact, manual espresso maker that gives users precision control of the amount of pressure being applied to the brew bed. And for those looking for something a little cuter, there’s Nékojita FuFu. First premiering at CES this year, Nékojita FuFu is a cute little kitty robot that hangs from the side of your coffee mug and will blow on it for you to help cool it down.
Press release news
From the Press Releases desk this week, we learned about a team up between BestCup and Topeca Coffee to release new compostable single-serve specialty coffee pods. Also, AeroPress goes big and transparent with the all-new AeroPress Clear XL. And lastly, Klatch Coffee is gearing up for spring with two new coffees, including a Peru Gesha.
The effects of tariffs, according to the US coffee industry
Tariffs loom large over the American economy, and this is certainly true of its specialty coffee industry. The US is the largest importer and consumer of coffee, and so as goes America, so goes much of the rest of the world. To better understand the impact of tariffs, we spoke with folks from across the coffee industry to get a firsthand account of what they are already seeing play out.
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…
Phil & Sebastian — Ecuador Lilac Dream (Catuaí – Hacienda Santa Gertrudis)
Mr. Espresso — Colombia La Terraza
Equator Coffees — Java Mount Ijen Natural
THE BARN — El Salvador Himalaya Pacamara
La Barba Coffee — Ecuador Hacienda La Papaya Sidra 120hr Anaerobic
Onyx Coffee Lab — Colombia Jairo Arcila Lychee
Portland Coffee Roasters – Anniversary Roast
Klatch Coffee — Panama Carmen Estate 1900 Catuai Natural
Madcap Coffee – Honduras Juan Angel
Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Vivid Bloom
Heartwood Coffee – Nicaragua La Esperanza Natural
PERC – Colombia Los Nogales Yellow Bourbon
Dune Coffee Roasters – Ecuador Hacienda La Papaya Anaerobic Sidra
Pachamama Coffee – Perú
Passenger Coffee – Colombia Lucas Melo
Partners Coffee – Colombia Vladimir Calambás
Night Swim Coffee – Ethiopia Nano Genji #6
Sightglass Coffee Roasters – Spring Equinox
Olympia Coffee – Colombia San Sebastian Reserva
Verve Coffee Roasters – Kenya Gura AA
Joe Coffee – Honduras Rubí Sisters Catuaí
CXFFEEBLACK – Fruit Of Our Labor
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Portland, OR
Goodboybob Coffee Roasters - General Manager - Santa Monica, CA (hybrid)
Goodboybob Coffee Roasters - Wholesale Sales Manager - Santa Monica, CA (hybrid)
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Roaster - Ridgewood, NY
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.