The Sprudge Report - It Takes A Village

We've got an all new Roasters Village section, featuring coffee recommendations from some of our favorite roasters

Aug 5, 2023

Wendy’s doesn’t know how to Coffee Frosty

The Wendy’s Frosty is a thing of fast food beauty, a perfect little summer treat that’s as easy as a trip to the drive thru. It can only be made better by one thing: coffee. The combination of the two things couldn’t be simpler, yet somehow Wendy’s has found a way to do the impossible and completely spit the bit. Twice. So, we’ve had to take matters into our own hands and make a Coffee Frosty ourselves, and because they won’t do it, we are sharing with you our recipe for how to make your own Wendy’s Coffee Frosty.

#CoffeeOutside

Coffee and the great outdoors share a deep symbiosis. Undertaking many of the physical outdoor activities requires a healthy dose of coffee to meet the challenge, and there is perhaps no greater way to drink coffee than on a crisp morning in some wild and verdant place. In her latest feature for Sprudge, Anna Brones tracks the history of #coffeeoutside and how it—along with the available gear—have grown over the years.

La Marzocco’s Chris Salierno: the Sprudge interview

There's a bit of a duality to La Marzocco. The iconic Italian espresso manufacturer made a name for itself through its popularity in the United States. The brand’s dual citizenship is reflected in that of Chris Salierno, their Global Marketing Director. American-born but Italian-raised, Salierno has been with the company for 14 years, and he reflects back on his time with La Marzocco and the coffee industry itself in this thoughtful interview.

Coffee kicks

It was quite a week in coffee footwear, where we saw not one but two different coffee-related sneaker announcements. First up was the Nike Air Jordan 1 Zoom CMFT 2, which were getting an all new colorway known as “Legend Coffee.” Not to be outdone, New Balance released their Fresh Foam X 1080v12 with a coffee collab of their own. The Blue Bottle Coffee variant features the cafe’s recognizable blue throughout the design, including in the brand’s logo on the back of the shoe.

Beefcake mugs

Sometimes the coffee is hot, but the mugs are even hotter. Thus is the case for this set of vintage bodybuilder mugs. Made in 1978, each of the 10 mugs in the set features a speedo’ed bodybuilder flexing in one of four different poses. Going for $200 on eBay, these mugs are a steal. (By which I mean they are gone because we already bought them.)

The Build-Outs of Coffee

This week’s Build-Out takes us to Denmark, Sakskøbing to be exact, for a look at Ubuntu Coffee Roasters. With Namibian roots, Ubuntu brings a deep appreciation for all things African coffee to one of the world’s great coffee drinking countries. From Swakopmund to Sakskøbing, Ubuntu brings together two great coffee traditions under a single century-old roof.

The 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee feature series is proudly presented by Dona. Explore the world of fine Dona products at DrinkDona.com and enjoy free shipping on each order over $50.

Kaldi’s and Dancing Goats merge

Who would Kaldi be without his Dancing Goats? It was announced this week that St. Louis, Missouri’s Kaldi’s Coffee would be merging with Olympia, Washington’s Dancing Goats Coffee. Both brands have outposts in the Atlanta area, and the ATL Dancing Goats roastery will now shift to producing Kaldi’s branded coffee. Much of the rest of the day-to-day operations will remain the same for both companies.

The Debt Payer

In this deeply reported feature for Sprudge Special Projects journalist Tonggo Simangunsong takes us to the coffee farms of Lintong, made famous by Starbucks "Blue Batak"—and now profoundly under threat.

The Coffee Sprudgecast: The One With Builds And Block Party From Partners Coffee

On this week’s episode of the Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen are talking Builds—looking at some of the global features thus far in the 2023 series—while sipping on Block Party, an all new blend from Brooklyn’s Partners Coffee.

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: Honey Peru Huabal—Located high in the Andes mountain range, above the city of Jaen, is the Huabal district. The producer group CENFROCAFE was founded in 1999 and represents more than 2,000 coop members of local associations in Cajamarca. Our Honey Peru Huabal is from a special prep program organized by CENFROCAFE. This organic honey-processed lot has a velvety body and very mild acidity. An aroma of raspberry and figs gives way to berries, figs, and cream in the cup.

Camber Coffee: Ethiopia Okoluu—Bursting with exquisite summer flavors, Ethiopia Okoluu is one of the best naturals we've tasted in recent memory. Its exceptional balance and clarity make it a rare find. We taste notes of fresh strawberry and apricot, aromatic lavender and hibiscus, and raw sugar sweetness.

Equator Coffees: Kenya Kamwangi—This light-roasted Kenyan coffee from the Kamwangi Washing Station delivers complex and concentrated flavors of black currant, rhubarb, caramel, and pink grapefruit.

Intelligentsia Coffee: Summer Solstice Blend—Each year Intelligentsia takes a fresh approach to their seasonal blends, curating flavors that will best evoke the spirit of the season. This year features a deliciously juicy, sweet blend of coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru. Sip and indulge in alluring notes of blueberry, honey, and lime. Perfect for a sun-drenched Summer morning.

Monogram Coffee: Murue Kianyangi AA—Owned by the Murue FCS, the Kianyangi factory receives ripe cherries from 750 different small holder farmers in the Embu region of Kenya. The rich volcanic soil and ideal growing conditions of this region are what makes this coffee unique for its high quality acidity and intense sweetness. This coffee is processed as a double washed, which brings out the vibrant notes of red grapefruit, hibiscus and raspberry.

Night Swim Coffee: Leonid Ramirez EF2 Castillo—This is a super classic Colombian profile. It’s expressive, sweet, and absolutely crushable. You’ll notice hints of dried berries, fresh pecan pie, and a sparkling lime-like acidity. This particular coffee comes from Leonid Ramirez of La Cortina de Hierro, in Quindio, Colombia. This coffee was dry aerobic fermented for 24 hours, then placed inGrainpro bags for 50 more hours before being pulped, gently washed, and dried on raised beds.

Onyx Coffee Lab: Costa Rica Las Lajas Natural—This naturally processed coffee has become a staple in our offerings from Central America. Las Lajas is the premier coffee mill in costa rica and this lot highlights precisely why they're heralded as the best. Expect notes of berries and a vanilla sweetness throughout.

Partners Coffee: Block Party Summer Blend—Block Party is an ode to New York summers. Inspired by the spirit of community and leisure across the five boroughs, Partners Coffee crafted this sunny blend from some of their favorite relationships in Peru and Colombia. Find notes of strawberry, apple, and honeycomb in this versatile coffee enjoyed either hot or iced.

PERC Coffee: Kenya Thunguri Estate—Thunguri is the first natural processed Kenyan coffee we've ever gotten our hands on! Almost all the coffee Exported from the country undergoes the more traditional washed process, which is what we've come to expect here at Perc. When we tasted this one, we knew we had to share it with y'all.

Stumptown Coffee: Honduras El Puente Catuaí Natural—The same catuaí variety as our classic washed offering from Finca El Puente, with a completely different process and profile, this beauty delivers notes of berry jam and cacao nibs, balanced by refreshing tropical fruit and black tea in a complex cup.

Verve Coffee: Honduras Juan Benitez—A returning favorite, Juan Benitez's coffee is characterized by sweet tropical fruit and tart citrus throughout the tasting experience. Bright notes of starfruit pair with lime leaf and honey to create a balanced cup.

New job listings from Sprudge Jobs

Cropster - Team Marketing Lead (f/m/d) - Vienna/Innsbruck, Austria or Sacramento, CA
Cropster - Area Sale Manager Cafe, US(f/m/d) - Sacramento, CA or US remote
Sweet Maria’s - Customer Service Representative - Oakland, CA
Counter Culture Coffee - Regional Technical Services - Chicago, IL

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.

Ostara Coffee + Wine + Market - Ft. Worth, TX
The Coffee Ride - Boulder, CO
Cloud Picker Coffee - Dublin, Ireland
Procession Coffee - Denver, CO

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.