The Sprudge Report - Pumpkin Spice Summer?
Seasons mean nothing.
Amy Cosio: The Sprudge Twenty Interview
In this week’s installment of the Sprudge Twenty interview series, we talk with Amy Cosio, the co-founder of El Union Coffee in the Philippines. The wide-ranging interview is incredibly thoughtful and well worth a read.
Hot pumpkin spice summer
The pumpkin spicing of things—both in coffee and outside of it—is not a new phenomenon, but it has nonetheless gotten a little out of hand. Thirsty brands everywhere are in an arms race to be the first to roll out their seasonal fall menu items, even if it means marching them out during the hottest month in recorded history. It’s all just too much.
This week’s Builds
We’ve got two new Build-Outs of Coffee this week, representing two of America’s top notch coffee cities. First up is Huckleberry Roasters in Denver, whose fifth cafe opened earlier this month. Then in Philadelphia, Vessel Coffee Collective will be putting their mark on what is an already exciting coffee scene. Look for them to open in the coming months.
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.
Coffee and music
Two of life’s great joys may turn out to be quite good for your brain. In a new study, coffee and music were both shown to increase beta band brain wave activity, which is associated with peak cognitive performance. Drink up, jam out, and tune in.
The Robusta-lution will be televised
At this year’s US Barista Championship, Maya Crowley made history by being the first-ever competitor to use a robusta coffee. To commemorate the groundbreaking routine, Nguyen Coffee Supply—the brand who roasted the anaerobic fermented robusta—and Crowley have released two new videos, one giving a short history of the species and its perception amongst specialty coffee circles and the other a look a Crowley’s signature beverage from the USBC.
GrainPros without the cons
If you’ve spent any time at a coffee roasting facility, you’ve no doubt come across GrainPro bags, the greenish bags inside the traditional jute bags that green coffee gets shipped from continent to continent to roastery in. These single-use plastic bags are a necessary evil, keeping green coffee fresh and safe from contaminants. And now, GrainPro has teamed up with Neumann Gruppe USA to create a recycling solution for all manner of liner bags.
Three Coffee design
Our globe-spanning Coffee Design feature series takes us this week to Dubai to check out the rather stunning brandwork for Three Coffee. From bags to websites to merch (including coffee gummies!), there’s a thoughtful cohesion to everything Three is putting out.
Coffee Connections
If you are a lover of puzzles, you have probably by now heard about Connections, the New York Times latest daily brain teaser. The rules are simple, but the game is surprisingly difficult. To help lessen the somewhat steep learning curve, we have put together two coffee-related games of Connections. Their pretty user-friendly for the coffee lover, but maybe a little less so for everyone else.
Roaster’s Village
We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partnerseach 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: Peru Elmer Tineo—With round, ripe fruit character and a caramelized sugar finish, this standout lot from Peru was an immediate favorite when it hit the cupping table. We’ve been tasting notes of blueberry, apple, cocoa, and brown sugar.
Equator Coffees: Burundi Women of Turihamwe —This delicious coffee was brought to our attention by Long Miles Coffee Project, a micro-lot company focusing on farmer-driven coffee production in Burundi. We instantly fell in love with the lemon zest and allspice notes in this lot’s spicy and sweet flavor profile.
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: La Llama—This version of La Llama is a super fun, naturally processed Java and Caturra coffee that brings bright notes of grape candy, cherry liqueur and dark chocolate. Located in Caranavi, Bolivia, La Llama is Agricafe’s highest farm. This particular coffee has been processed using Agricafe’s Coco Natural process, which leaves the coffee to ferment for longer than the average natural and gives the coffee bean the appearance of a cocoa bean—hence the name Coco Natural.
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: Mexico Pocitos—We love coffee from Mexico, especially ones like the Pocitos – it’s a gulper! Pocitos is exciting and comforting at the same time. Look for a sweet, smooth cup with flavors that reminds us of ripe red fruit and brown sugar. Grab a bag today if you like good things!
Stumptown Coffee: Honduras El Puente —Located in the renowned growing region of Marcala, Honduras, Finca El Puente produced the first lot of coffee we bought from husband and wife team Moisés Herrera and Marysabel Caballero in 2004. Every year since, we’ve welcomed back their signature catuaí variety coffee to our cups with awe and delight. This fresh crop is no exception – expect notes of juicy plum, lemon zest and vanilla cream in this classic 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
Counter Culture Coffee - Regional Technical Services - Washington, DC
Minor Figures - Sales Development Coordinator - Remote
Baratza - Social Media & Content Specialist - 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.
Mundane Coffee Break - Penang, Malaysia
The Root Note - La Crosse, WI
Foundation Coffee Roasters - Cornwall, UK
Corridor Seven Standing Room - Maharashtra, India
Little Juice - Harbor Springs, MI
Sputnik Coffee - Chicago, IL
Zion Coffee - Peoria, IL
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