The Sprudge Report - I Want Your (Coffee-Fueled) Sex
Plus espresso course, city guides, and wholesale offers on our new book.
Carry But First, Coffee in your cafe
Our newest book, But First, Coffee, is out now and it’s safe to say we are pretty excited for you to read it. And if you are a cafe owner and want to carry But First, Coffee in your shop, we’re now offering wholesale pricing directly through our publisher Union Square & Co!
Getting Brewful in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky, the Gateway to the South, is home to a riveting coffee scene. A blend of stalwarts and upstarts alike, the state’s largest city—pronounced Lou-vull—is full of exciting cafes for all types of coffee drinkers and roast level preferences. So let’s dive in.
E-Learning Espresso is e-asy
The Accademia del Caffè Espresso, La Marzocco’s cultural hub, has released an all-new online home espresso training course. E-Learning Espresso is a 15-chapters containing over 5 hours of material, with topics including introductory discussions of espresso and its history, coffee growing and processing, roasting, and setting up the espresso machine as well as more advanced curriculum on extraction, pressure profiling, milk chemistry and latte art, and machine maintenance.
Climate change’s double disaster for coffee
It’s no secret that climate change poses an existential threat to the future of coffee production. But the damage caused by climate change goes beyond its direct effect. In tropical regions, like where coffee is typically grown, pollinators are experiencing a significant drop in their numbers as temperatures rise. And without pollinators, the total amount of coffee produced could see a dip.
A brief history of coffee substitutes
Coffee has been an important part of people’s rituals for hundreds of years now, so much so that folks would go to great lengths to imitate it when actual coffee wasn’t available. And in modern times, substitutes are being developed touting all sorts of health benefits. In a new feature, contributor N.C. Stevens takes a deep dive on the history and future of coffee substitutes.
DiFluid Omni
Have you ever seen a piece of coffee gear that you know you don’t need but really have to have anyway? It happens to me all the time, and it has happened again with the DiFluid Omni. Sleek and compact, the Omni combines a roast level analyzer with a grind size reader all into one countertop-friendly package.
Two more coffee companies seek to unionize
The wave of unionizing efforts in the specialty coffee industry continues to build momentum, and this week, workers from two northeastern companies have announced their intentions to bargain collectively. Both Philadelphia’s Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Coffee by Design in Portland, Maine are currently looking to join local unions in a bid for better working conditions and pay increases.
The Kaffa Sutra
Coffee and sex, two great tastes that taste great together. As it turns out, consuming coffee before engaging in business time may actually intensify orgasms, some claiming by up to 50%. A doctor from the UK’s National Health Service to weigh in, and there’s science to back that thang up. It’s all about how caffeine affects blood flow, and the good doctor has even give you the go-ahead to test it for yourself at home.
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: Natural Bolvia AIPEP—This limited release offering is from the primary-level producer association AIPEP, located in the Yungas mountains of Bolivia. We found this natural processed coffee to be pleasantly dense, with notes of blueberry, grape and black tea in the cup.
Camber Coffee: Gesha Box Set—We’re thrilled to share our latest Artist Series drop, featuring TWO stunning Geshas from Guatemala. Guatemala Rosma Gesha is a washed process Gesha with exceptional clarity and effervescent notes of jasmine, makrut lime, bergamot, black tea, and casaba melon. Guatemala Cascada Encantada Gesha is a natural process Gesha showcasing a honeyed sweetness and complex flavors of apricot, black tea, clementine, grape, and black cherry. Sprudge readers can save $5 on the Gesha Box Set on cambercoffee.com with code GESHA through 11/3/23.
CXFFEEBLACK: OG Guji Mane—Brought to you by an all black supply chain. Grown by black farmers in the town of Uraga in the Guji Zone of Oromia in Ethiopia, exported by Black community leaders Ture Waji, aka the “King Of Guji”and the big homie Mike Mamo of Bmore. It was imported through the homies at Equatorial Coffee Consultants and roasted by Renata Henderson and Sydni Barnes.
Equator Coffees: Guatemala El Injerto Ethiopia Landrace Natural—Reviewed by Coffee Review in September 2023, this coffee scored an incredible 94 point review! Experience the sweet and complex flavors of Guatemala El Injerto Ethiopia Landrace Natural. This rare lot of coffee is a Landrace variety from Ethiopia processed using the natural, or dry method, which locks in its unique flavors and sweetness. We love the intense fruit-forward notes this coffee is renowned for.
Intelligentsia Coffee: Otoño Blend—Fall is here, and with it, the next release in our seasonal blend lineup. Otoño is inspired by the reflection that autumn brings, when nature reveals its texture and each step outdoors is a chance to slow down and observe a beautiful transition unfold. It features three In-Season lots from our single-origin menu: our Ethiopia Washed Alaka, Kenya Kamviu, and Guatemala La Florida.
Joe Coffee: Colombia La Familia Guarnizo—This coffee comes to us through a strong relationship between Joe Coffee and the El Paraiso growers’ association in Huila, Colombia. This bright and light-bodied selection was grown by a special group of El Paraiso’s member farmers: the Guarnizo family. Featuring notes of stone fruit and almonds with a medium acidity, this coffee is a customer favorite.
Madcap Coffee Company: Luis Reinoso—Luis Reinoso grows coffee in Tolima, Colombia, with his wife Yenni. Though this coffee bears his name, Luis is the first to emphasize that it’s an equal partnership between Yenni and himself. In this balanced cup of the Caturra and Bourbon varieties, expect notes of cherry, red apple, and nougat.
Monogram Coffee: Floripondio—Floripondio is an ideal farm for experimenting with growing different varieties of coffee. It is a breathtaking farm, growing incredible coffees, and under the guidance of the Rodriguez family the coffees are grown, harvested and processed with close attention to detail every step of the way. Floripondio is a batian coco natural that has super clean and juicy flavours of plum and nougat with a creamy body.
Night Swim Coffee: Rosalio Gutierrez – Natural—Rosalio is a young producer from the Valle Inca cooperative, only 38 years old. He and his wife Gladys cultivate the 10 hectares they share, only 2.75 of which are dedicated to coffee production. This sun-dried, bourbon varietal comes to us from Cusco, Peru and the Valle Inca cooperative.
Olympia Coffee Roasters: Ethiopia Desta Gola—Flavors of berry jam, peach, and jasmine
Onyx Coffee Lab: Panama Creativa Giovana Boutet Anaerobic—This anaerobic natural processed by our friends at Creativa Coffee District checks all the boxes we love about anaerobic processing. Layered, complex, and immensely sweet, this Catuai reminds us of ripe mangos and chocolate truffle, with the complexity and tactile of a cabernet.
Partners Coffee: Honduras San Francisco—Roger Domínguez produces some of our favorite natural process coffees. With the most exacting standards of picking and processing Roger has delivered an exceptional coffee, dominated by jammy red fruits and intense dark chocolate. We taste strawberry and raspberry jam, spiced cranberries, pomegranate, candied orange, very dark chocolate, and cognac.
PERC Coffee: Colombia La Primavera Pink Bourbon—This coffee is a collaboration between producer Freddy Correa and our friends at Forest Coffee. Freddy Correa grew this fantastic coffee on his farm, La Primavera. This is the first pink bourbon we’ve sourced at PERC. This variety is known for its sweet, fruity, and floral flavors, and La Primavera does a great job hitting all of them!
Stumptown Coffee: Guatemala Semillero—Semillero was the first plot of land Luis Pedro Zelaya bought after graduating as an agronomist. It produces some of the highest quality lots seen in the Zelaya family operation. This year’s lot is a round cup combining notes of creamy vanilla, nectarine, and plum, and it’s available exclusively to Stumptown’s Roaster’s Pick coffee subscribers.
Verve Coffee: Costa Rica Sumava Lactico Natural—Sweet Magnolia florals greet the nose at the first sip, complemented by the soft touch of White Peach. Concord Grape is woven throughout with a similar profile to natural wine, finishing the cup with a sparkling mouthfeel. Francisco Mena’s coffee has been sprinkled throughout our menu year after year, and he is someone that we are proud to partner with.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Neighborhood Coffee - Lead Barista - Los Angeles, CA
Virgin Islands Coffee Roasters - Lead Roaster/Service Tech - St. Thomas, USVI
Creature Coffee Co - Head Roaster - Austin, TX
Eversys - Field Technician - New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Eversys - Workshop Technician - Long Island City, NY
Progeny Coffee - Production Associate - Berkeley, CA
Intelligentsia Coffee - Barista - Boston, MA
Canyon Coffee - Cafe Manager - Los Angeles, CA
Gloria’s Cafe - Baristas - Studio City, CA
Corvus Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Denver, CO
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.
Laynes - Leeds, United Kingdom
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.