The Sprudge Report - Hello 2025!
We're off to quite a start.
Don’t macchiato my cortado
My New Year’s Resolution for 2025 is to be kinder to Starbucks. I have disparaged the globo coffee corp in the past, and 2025 feels like the year I should leave that all behind. That is, until they decided to introduce the cortado to their menu and have the absolute gall to make it an 8oz drink. This will not stand. This aggression will not stand, man!
Coffee and fasting
People choose to fast for a litany of reasons, from religious to medical to dietary. But coffee isn’t a foodstuff, so where does it fit in with those forgoing food? Turns out, it depends on the reason for the fast. We explore how fasting and all its many reasons affect one’s ability to drink coffee.
Got a cat tongue? Say hello to Nékojita FuFu
Listen up, Goldilocks, coffee these days is too damn hot. And how can I enjoy all its beautiful subtlety with second degree burns on my taste buds? Coffee needs to cool it, literally. And that’s where Nékojita FuFu comes in. Premiering at CES 2025, this adorable kitty companion rests on the side of your coffee cup and blows on it for you until it reaches a more reasonable temperature, and I’m in love.
Three cheers for coffee science
It was a good week in the world of coffee research. It all began with a recent study finding that regular coffee consumption was associated with decreased risk of developing multiple types of head and neck cancer. Bookending the week was another study, this one finding that coffee consumed in the morning—but only the morning—was linked with decreased instances of all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular-related death.
BIGFACE Takes Miami
Jimmy Cold Brew Buckets strikes again. Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat star—and soon-to-be Golden State Warrior, unfortunately—has opened the first brick-and-mortar cafe for this coffee brand BIGFACE. The ultramodern 2,500-square-foot space opened during Art Basel Miami is the culminations of Butler’s coffee career thus far, starting all the way back in 2020 when the basketball star was serving $20 coffees to fellow NBAers confined within the playoff bubble.
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…
Partners Coffee—Honduras – Carlos Damian
Continuing our Honduran offerings this season we have a lovely pacas produced by Carlos Damian. This fully washed selection of pacas was grown on his Bella Vista farm on the eastern side of the Santa Bárbara Mountain. This is a balanced, comforting coffee that we’ve been looking forward to for months. Presenting beautifully as either filter coffee or espresso, we’re tasting milk chocolate, toffee, and almond with a subtle, structured acidity reminding us of yellow peach and red apple.
Klatch Coffee—Red Envelope Celebration Gift Set
Just in time for the Lunar New Year celebration; savor the vibrant tastes of the season and welcome prosperity with every cup. Klatch Coffee’s Red Envelope Celebration Trio Gift Set is the perfect way to make your festivities truly special! Featuring three 113-gram bags – one each of our exclusive Eureka, Mocha Java, and Organic Sumatra coffees – this gift set is a delightful way to celebrate, share, and enjoy the season’s blessings.
PERC—Kenya Ndaro-ini
We’re super excited to bring in another stunner from Kenya. This coffee blew us away on the cupping table. It starts with a juicy punch of green apple and transitions to flavors of warm baking spice. It finishes with a sweet brown sugar note that will have you coming back for more before you put down that empty cup. Don’t miss out on this super tasty coffee, y’all.
Madcap Coffee—Hambela Birebirsa
Across the rolling hills and valleys of South West Ethiopia lies the expansive zone of Guji. Here in this remote place grows lush, thick forests, and under it, coffee trees. In the Hambela District, coffee is grown on small neighboring farms and delivered to the Bekele Mulat Washing Station in the village of Birebirsa for sorting and processing. In Guji’s fertile soils, coffee grows slowly in this area due to cooler temperatures and develops a flavor profile unique to the area. In this harvest, enjoy delicate notes of jasmine, pink lemonade, and juicy nectarine.
Equator Coffees—North Star Blend
Our newest seasonal blend has arrived! Inspired by the steadiness of the North Star, this medium-light roast offers a moment of calm and focus—perfect for embracing the quiet optimism of the season. Smooth and creamy, it features flavors of pecan, golden raisin, orange, and milk chocolate.
Dune Coffee Roasters—Honduras Urpania Guzman Geisha
Ever since we first began working with the Guzman family, they had impressed with their efforts to push quality, including planting the Geisha variety at this uniquely high elevation farm on the Santa Bárbara mountain. This is the first harvest of this coffee—a tiny quantity, not even a full exportable bag, but this is the coffee we had been waiting to taste, full of classic varietal floral flavors, as well as the complex citrus and sweetness from this farm’s terroir and Urpania and her family’s efforts.
The Barn Berlin—Volcan Azul H3
At the famous Volcan Azul estate in Costa Rica, producer Alejo has introduced modern fermentation methods to achieve extraordinary flavour profiles. We love coffees from Volcan Azul for their deep, complex flavour. The warm anaerobic process brings delicious character to this coffee, with vibrant fruit flavour. Expect an abundance of sweetness, with fig, blueberry, and blackcurrant. On the palate, this is a coffee with great structure and gentle acidity.
La Barba Coffee—Colombia | Diego Bermudez Letty Gesha
A monument to what coffee is and can be, this directly sourced Gesha has a distinct peach note with a pineapple acidity and delicate caramel character. All is the result of meticulous farming and a scientific approach to processing. Notes: Pineapple – Peach – Caramel
Night Swim Coffee—The Holiday Blend
This coffee encapsulates our commitment the 2024 year, to share coffees with you that help you reminisce on familiar experiences while enjoying something very new! We’ve blended a bright and fruity anaerobic natural from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia and a washed peaberry from the island of Papua New Guinea.
Phil & Sebastian—Pepe Jijon Sidra Washed
This is probably one of the most elegant coffees we’ve had in our Uncommon Collection. Pepe likes his coffees super clean – to let them fully express their terroir. This coffee is delicate and elegant. The clementine and kiwi notes lead, and then they are rounded out with notes of sage and butterscotch all enveloped in a delicate yet creamy white tea body.
This is our third year working with Pepe. He is passionate about reforestation and harmony with the environment and his farm very much reflects this. He is one of Ecuador’s most decorated coffee producers, having won the 2023 Sprudge Notable Producer award.
Passenger Coffee & Tea —Holiday Coffee
Tart cranberry and cherry are accompanied by a toffee-like sweetness alongside flavors of orange marmalade, vanilla, and subtly spiced milk chocolate, making for a perfect pairing with a wide array of sweet and savory seasonal dishes.
Producer: Wilson Alba Origin: Palestina, Caldas, Colombia
PERC—China Lao Xu Zhai Village
This is the first coffee PERC has sourced from China. The quality and unique cup profile of this lot blew us away. It’s an incredibly sweet cup with a unique plum and cherry acidity. Baking spices, chocolate, and a subtle licorice/herbal quality round out the finish. We’re stoked to partner with the folks at Torch Coffee and Lao Xu Zhai on this truly unique coffee.
Portland Coffee Roasters—Holiday Roast
Indulge in the spirit of the season with our Holiday Roast! Each year, we release a Limited Time Offering that benefits organizations helping people near and far. What started as a one-time celebration of festive goodwill has evolved into a tradition we have cherished for over 15 years!
For every 12oz bag or bulk pound of Holiday Roast sold, $1 will be donated to Growing Gardens – a Portland non-profit using the experience of growing food to cultivate healthy, equitable communities.
Sightglass Coffee—Winter Solstice
Returning for the fifth year, we’re excited to release something exceptional for the holiday season: our Winter Solstice Blend. Named for the longest night and shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice is the perfect accompaniment to cool weather and changing seasons. A time when we crave comfort, warmth, the familiar, and the surprising. For Winter Solstice, we combine two amazing coffees from Kenya and Colombia to evoke flavors of chocolate truffle, marzipan, and blackberry.
Onyx Coffee Lab—Colombia Tio Conejo Gesha Natural
In the high mountains of Caldas, Colombia, Tío Conejo cultivates coffee with a commitment to tradition, community, and resilience. Nestled at 2,000 MASL on rich volcanic soil, their farm’s high altitude and meticulous practices yield exceptional quality. That quality shows in the cup with pungent fruit characteristics throughout the drinking experience, culminating in pink guava and watermelon candy.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters —Guatemala El Injerto Pacamara
Pacamara is the result of a combination of teamwork, a unique microclimate and good plant genetics! All of these factors come together to produce one of the most award-winning flavorful coffees in the world. Each decadent cup features notes of ripe peach and sugar cane complemented by a touch of sage – truly exquisite!
Joe Coffee —Rubí Sisters Catuaí
Perched between the Sierra La Esperanza and Santa Bárbara mountains in Las Vegas, Honduras, lies Finca Ruland 2—a specialty coffee farm as beautiful as it is biodiverse, owned and operated by the Rubí-Landaverde family. Notes of Candied Lemon, Almond Paste, Cinnamon.
Pachamama Coffee Farmers—Guatemala
Grown on the volcanic shores of Lago Atitlán, this is an exceptional single origin medium roast coffee from the Manos Campesinas coop in Guatemala.
Olympia Coffee—Alexander Vargas Pink Bourbon
Alexander Vargas is a Cup of Excellence-winning producer for his Pink Bourbon varietal. He continues to innovate in processing and drying, making his coffees an absolute delight for us to roast. The variety is native to Colombia, specifically Huila, with the name inspired by the cherry ripening with a pinkish hue.
CXFFEEBLACK—Fruit Of Our Labor
A HIGA JUNT -NATURAL RWANDA KILIMBI STATION, 1650-1850 MASL
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, and Passionfruit
Verve Coffee Roasters—Seabright
From our house to yours, Seabright House Blend is undeniably inviting. Seabright showcases apricot and honeydew flavor notes composed of direct trade coffees from El Salvador and Guatemala. A balanced mouthfeel. And aromatics of toasted hazelnuts. Set yourself up for a winning day with one of our easiest drinking blends.
Mr. Espresso—Mexico Mayan Village — Women’s Lot
Rosalba Cifuentes Tovía came to the San Francisco Bay Area from Chiapas, Mexico, with two small children and without knowing any English. What she did know was coffee. Incredibly, she built a network within Bay Area coffee circles. It has been her passion to use her coffee expertise to uplift the people from her native community of Chiapas. Rosalba has grown Mayan Harvest into a source that represents some of the best in the region. Combined with direct traceability and an exquisite taste that brings to mind notes of cherry, cream, and panela, this is a coffee you’ll feel good about buying and better about drinking.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Tradecraft Coffee and Tea Outfitters - Field Service Technician - New York, NY
La Colombe - Cafe Manager - Bryn Mawr, PA
Temple Coffee Roasters - Production Roaster - Sacramento, CA
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Box Truck Driver - Portland, OR
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Senior Equipment Mechanic - Portland, OR
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.