The Sprudge Report - Fast Foods & Coffee Tubes
Plus the triumphant return of the Build-Outs of Coffee
The Build is back!
The 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee is officially underway! And we had a loaded roster of brand spanking new cafes to feature this week. We started off in Philadelphia, one of my most exciting coffee cities in the US, with the newest cafe from Menagerie. From there, we took a quick hop up north of the border, for the new Fix Coffee + Bikes in Toronto. Then back down again to Baltimore for Sacre Sucre, a bake shop and cafe, before popping back up to Canada once more to check out Little Victories stunning new cafe in Ottawa. And this is only just the beginning. It’s going to be a good season.
McDonald’s has (too) hot coffee
It feels like history is repeating itself because McDonald’s has once again been sued for serving coffee that is too hot. A New Jersey man has alleged he suffered burns and damages to his car after having a cup of McD’s coffee that was “too hot for human consumption” spill on him. And to make matters worse, it’s not even the first of such cases this year… in New Jersey.
Bonjour Limoges
When you think of France, you think of Paris, of Marseilles and Cannes and the French Riviera. And for good reason, but don’t overlook Limoges. One of the great porcelain manufacturing cities of the world, Limoges also has a bustling cafe scene (because what is a nice piece of drinking ware without something nice to go in it). And this week, we go on a tour of some of the most exciting coffee shops that Limoges has to offer.
Coffee tube news coming down the coffee news tube
A frankly bizarre amount of news about coffee tubes this week. First, the original coffee tube, the AeroPress, announced an all-new version of their portable Go line, the Go Plus, and it makes some pretty big (literally) improvements over its predecessor. Then there was No Normal, a new paste-like coffee concentrate that comes in, you guessed it, a toothpaste tube.
Would you pay to hang out in a cafe?
Making ends meet for a coffee shop isn’t an easy proposition, especially when folks camp out all day after only buying a single coffee, leaving no room for other patrons. A possible solution has been floated of having those longer term guests pay a subscription or a seat fee. In essence, they would pay, say $20, for up to four hours of seat time along with maybe a coffee and a pastry. Because if you’re going to camp at your favorite coffee shop, you should want to help them stay afloat.
From the PR hub
From our Press Releases desk this week, we heard news of Melitta Japan celebrated an astonishing 50 years in business. Melitta has been around for over a century, and now the Japan branch has reached the halfway point.
(Inarticulate Whataburgering)
I’m not saying this because I am from Texas but because it is the God’s honest truth: Whataburger is the greatest fast food chain in America. Everyone agrees on it. Just look at all the replies to our Instagram post about it; not a single detractor or naysayer in sight. And the best only keeps getting better, as Whataburger has updated their coffee lineup—and it is way better than it needs to be. And also, a Caramel Latte Milkshake, with real coffee, I mean come on.
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: Burundi Nemba—This beautiful lot represents the unique flavors available in coffees from the region. It comes from the Nemba washing station in the Hills of Kayanza in Burundi. It’s sugary aroma is reminiscent of ginger, molasses and red fruit. Unique flavors of gingersnap cookies, apricot and molasses are balanced by a pleasantly citric cup.
The Barn Coffee Roasters Berlin: Huey Mountain Natural—Rwanda is the land of 1000 hills and it has great growing conditions: High altitude, regular rainfall, rich soil and people working with passion. We have been buying coffee from Huye Mountain for over ten years now. Both the quality and cup profile have been very consistent over this whole period. Our natural processed lot has intense flavours of cherry, chocolate, and marzipan.
Cxffeeblack: Ubudasa—Ubudasa is a Kinyarwandan word loosely translated to mean the uniqueness of something or how something just hits different. In partnership with Higa coffee, a natural anaerobic from Businide station in the Kayanza district in Burundi. You already know, All-Black supply chain. Notes of grape Jolly Rancher, mango Jumex, and cinnamon. Proceeds from the sale of this coffee go to support Phase 2 of the Black Barista Exchange Program.
Equator Coffees: Burundi Nyagishiru Natural—This Red Bourbon variety single origin coffee comes to us from the Nyagishiru washing station, specializing in the sweet and distinctly fruit-forward flavor profile we adore from natural-process coffees! Juicy body and approachable acidity, this coffee is light roasted with flavors of orange peel, blackberry, and toasted marshmallow.
Greater Goods Coffee Roasters: Basha Bekele—Our latest release from Ethiopia is a juicy fruit bomb from the Sidama region. Grown at the mid-bending altitude of 2000 plus meters above sea level, this coffee is a great example of how clean and beautiful extremely highgrown coffee can be. In the cup we got mouth-watering notes of dried strawberry, grape candy, and star jasmine.
Joe Coffee: Half Moon (half caf)—Whether it’s your first cup of the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up, some moments call for a gentler cup of coffee. That’s where Half Moon comes in: this half-caf blend delivers all the comfort of your favorite coffee with only half the caffeine. To create Half Moon, we pair our beloved decaf offering, Nightcap, in a 50/50 blend with a fully caffeinated coffee from Brazil. The resulting profile is sweet and medium-bodied, with notes of walnut, sticky toffee pudding, and vanilla bean.
Madcap Coffee Company: Ejo Heza—Independently owned, the Kopakama Cooperative is made up of 1025 members, 400 of them women. In 2011, the board of Kopakama directors agreed to create a women’s group, giving them two plots of land. With only 200 members at the time, they called themselves “Ejo Heza,” which translates to “Bright Tomorrow” in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda.
We hope you can taste the immense effort their co-op puts into every pound of coffee. This year, enjoy notes of floral hibiscus, juicy plum, and brown sugar.
Monogram Coffee: Don Isaias, Huila, Colombia—This Pink Bourbon from Don Isaias is a testament of hard work and striving to always improve. Don Isaias and local workers ferment the cherry for three days after harvest then dry for ten to fourteen days. The cup is well balanced with chocolate and fruit notes.
Mr. Espresso: Italian Espresso Trio—A Trio of Italian Classics. Return to the place where espresso began with Mr. Espresso’s trio of regionally inspired blends from Tuscany, Trieste and Naples. The elegant medium-roast Tuscan offers sweet chocolate and butterscotch notes; the light-roast Triestino has complexity of nut and fruit; and the company’s medium-dark signature Neapolitan delivers dark chocolate, hazelnut and caramel.
Night Swim Coffee: Las Guacamayas – Natural—This 100% Yellow Bourbon lot from Nehemias Pimentel and Hugo Pineda is a sundried, anaerobically fermented coffee. The result on this lot from Jutiapa is a sweet, fruity, and syrupy coffee that reminds us of tropical fruits and caramel cream.
Olympia Coffee: Sweeetheart, Brazil Serra Dos Ciganos Natural—We obsess over perfecting Sweetheart’s roast profile, creating a sweet, balanced coffee with beautiful flavor clarity. The region of Mogiana is known for exceptional quality and community strength. We sourced this lot from small farms in partnership with FAF, a supplier committed to environmentally and economically sustainable coffee.
Onyx Coffee Lab : Decaf Colombia Inzá San Antonio—Rest easy with this washed decaffeinated coffee from Cauca, Inzá. We’ve intentionally sourced this coffee for the purpose of decaffeination, selecting this regional lot from San Antonio for it’s structured sweetness of red apple and raw sugar, with a balanced acidity reminiscent of pear.
Partners Coffee: Peru – Lucía Muñoz—This is our first year buying coffee from Lucía and her first year selling coffee to Cultivar, our sourcing and export partners in Perú. With 2000 meters of elevation and high quality varieties under cultivation, Lucía is well equipped to produce excellent coffee. She follows an extended and enclosed fermentation process which yields subtle but delightful flavors of cherry, raspberry, and rose plus more familiar flavors of milk chocolate and almond.
PERC Coffee: Panama Ninety Plus Gesha Estates—This Natural processed Gesha is an absolute stunner. It’s got big, intense red fruit flavors up front (think strawberry and cherry) with waves of sweet flavors that remind us of Werther’s candy. It has a long, clean finish that leaves no doubt this is a fantastic coffee. The care and attention to detail during harvesting and processing are very apparent. Available Friday, June 7th!
Portland Coffee Roasters: Anniversary Roast—Dedicated to our customers who’ve supported us since we began in 1996: this Limited Release is a blend of coffees from Colombia and Costa Rica. The Colombia is from Finca Palmichal, and the Costa Rica is from Finca La Hilda. This coffee has a nice acidity and body, with some citrus fruit, plum, and chocolate notes.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Ecuador Rancho Carmen—This coffee is a combination of small lots from a group of 35 producers in Ecuador’s southernmost province. Rancho Carmen has a lush ganache body elevating notes of raspberry jam and brown sugar in a vibrant cup.
Verve Coffee Roasters : Limoncillo Farmlevel Reserve—This very rare mutated yellow Pacamara from El Limoncillo has a beautiful spiced and citric profile. Those who enjoy herbal and complex coffees will find this limited batch delightful.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Hubbard & Cravens Coffee and Tea - Sales Representative - Nashville, TN
Keffa Coffee - Sales Representative - Baltimore, MD
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Production Tech - Portland, OR
Neighborhood - Lead Barista - Hollywood, CA
Greater Goods Coffee Co - Wholesale Trainer - Austin, TX
Coffeebar - Head Roaster - Reno, NV
Baratza - Support Specialist, Specialty Coffee - Seattle, WA
New cafes on Sprudge Maps
Here are new cafes discoverable on our global cafe portal Sprudge Maps. Register your cafe for free—thanks to the support of La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series.
Laughing Cat Coffee Roasters - Reno, NV
The Milk Shed Coffee Roasters - Brighton, UK
Coffee Twins - München, Germany
Saint Maxime - Venice, 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.