The Sprudge Report - Sprudgie Finalists!
Here are the Finalists for the 2024 Sprudgie Awards
After thousands of entries, we’re please to announce the Finalists for the 2024 Sprudgie Awards. From a global pool of nominees comes a final list of finalists: eight choices per category, plus the opportunity to write in the candidate of your choice. Please vote using the ballot here, and share this post to encourage your communities to vote. Voting is open through Monday, January 29th at 11:59 PM PST.
Let’s go to Nuremberg!
When you think of coffee in Germany, Berlin is no doubt the first place that comes to mind. But go 400km south and you’ll find another bustling coffee scene in Nuremberg. Contributor Nikita Solberg takes us on a tour of some of the most exciting cafes in the city.
A celebratory cold brew shower
The college football bowl season was a little weird this year, and maybe a little fun. One instance of goofy good times came at the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl. At the conclusion of the game, winning head coach, Jeff Traylor of the University of Texas at San Antonio, found himself doused not in Gatorade—the traditional bath of choice—but with a massive coffee cup filled with Scooter’s cold brew.
Elsewhere in coffee
In Pennsylvania, Denim Coffee has expanded to a 30,000-square-foot roasting space, giving them room to start an all-new flash-chilled coffee line. Meanwhile, Cropster has introduced Commerce, a new order fulfillment solution tailored for the coffee industry.
Wipe right: a new app wants you to pay to use a cafe’s bathroom
Whatever happened to just buying a coffee to use the facilities? Leave it to a tech company to solve a problem that never existed. Enter Flush (aka Crappr, a much better name IMO). It debuted at CES 2024 this week, and it allows coffee shops and restaurants to rent out their restrooms for up to $10 for a five-minute potty break.
A spiced pear latte? I’ll take two!
Portland’s Hypnos Coffee may be new in town, but they’re already making quite the impressions with their latest signature drink, the Spiced Pear Latte. A reduction of fresh organic pear puree, raw sugar, and star anise blend harmoniously with espresso and milk, hot or iced, for that perfect time of year when you need something warm in the AM and a littler cooler by midday.
Coffee on tour
2024 is shaping up to be an action-packed year of global coffee events. La Marzocco is kicking things off Stateside with their Innovation Gallery on Tour, a traveling showcase of some of their latest technological advancements, including the recently announced Strada X. For their part, the Barista League has announced 12 stops in 11 countries across four continents for their riproaring good time of a coffee competition.
Coffee on the TV
What is the reality of reality TV? Over the past few years, a handful of coffee companies and their owners have found their way onto a variety of reality television programs seeking to raise the profile of their business (and a little capital). But what was the real end result? Sprudge Editor at Large Jenn Chen talks to coffee businesses that participated in reality TV to learn about its real-world impact.
Coffee Sprudgecast: The One With DONA And Olympia Coffee Roasting Co.
On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen sip on teas from DONA and espressos from Olympia (who are also raising money after the tragic death of a former barista) and talking Sprudgies and news of the week.
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: Rosendo Domingo—This limited release reserve series Guatemala comes to us from Rosendo Domingo and his farm, Palanch’en. We found this premium lot to be very approachable with notes of red grape, molasses and raisin in the cup.
Camber Coffee: Struttura—Struttura (meaning “structure”) is a sweet, weighty, and structured blend with notes of dark chocolate, molasses, and plum. It was carefully crafted to produce syrupy, dimensional, full-bodied espresso shots, while also brewing a vibrant, balanced cup of drip. We can’t wait for you to try this truly luxurious blend.
Cxffeeblack : Congo Free—Guji Mane Diaspora Collection // CONGO FREE: CONGO WASHED PROCESS /// a mighty peace junt- A portion of the proceeds goes to support Congolese liberation and the farmers who produce this African fruit
Equator Coffees: North Star Blend—Sweet and comforting with flavors of peanut brittle, red apple, and candied orange, our winter blend welcomes a new year brewing with possibilities. For every online and retail purchase of this blend, 5% of the sales will go back to our partners at Fazenda California, a family-owned coffee estate in Brazil who produced a key coffee in this seasonal blend.
Greater Goods Roasting: Rung’eto PB—Rarely has a coffee release synced up with the start of a season quite like this one. Hailing from Kirinyaga County in central Kenya, this peaberry lot is the warm, comforting, hot cocoa in front of the fire – the spirit of winter in coffee form. Peaberry makes up about 10% of Kenya’s coffee export and is highly sought out for its depth of sweetness and a thick, syrupy body. You can enjoy your winter days with notes of golden apple, black treacle, and red currant jam.
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: Finca de Dios—Husband and wife duo Ellen and Stuart Prentice oversee a 19-hectare farm, encompassing a multitude of microclimates. Ellen inherited the farm from her father in the early ’70s, falling in love with the coffee growing process and planting more and more on the land. Together with their daughter Ashley, they’ve established state-of-the-art processing equipment for their farm, Finca de Dios (Farm of the Gods). In this year’s harvest, expect notes of cacao, orange, and agave.
Monogram Coffee: Trifle —Four different coffees have been layered (like a trifle!) to create a unique brewing experience where the flavours will mingle and change as you brew through the bag. As you enjoy Trifle, you’ll work your way through: a spicy anaerobic marsellesa natural from Costa Rica, a fermented honey processed castillo from Colombia, a delicious chiroso caturra natural, and a fermented honey processed castillo from Colombia.
Night Swim Coffee: Blue Orchid – Sumatra—This is a semi-washed or “wet-hulled” coffee from Sumatra, Indonesia. It’s fruity-sweet, tropical, and finishes like one of our favorite candy bars. We’re thrilled to offer this first installment in our initiative to highlight underrepresented coffee growing regions!
Our partners at Night Swim Coffee published this intriguing report from Quindio, Colombia—read it at Night Swim's official website.
Olympia Coffee: Jose Landaverde Gesha Natural—One of the world’s most sought-after varietals, grown in one of Central America’s finest regions. Jose Landaverde Gesha Natural underwent a 60-hour anaerobic fermentation before drying in the natural method, yielding coffee deeply imbued with tropical-fruit sweetness and balanced with smooth, full-bodied flavor.
Onyx Coffee Lab : Framily—We are excited to release our seventh edition of this heartwarming Holiday coffee that embodies the joy of spending time with friends and family. This washed coffee from Banko Gotiti is a developed medium roast creating complex cocoa notes mixed with sweet berry cobbler-like flavors. Designed to accommodate the coffee nerd or the heavy-handed cream and sugar in-laws… you’re welcome, my friends.
Partners Coffee: Colombia – Papayo—Papayo is one of a few curious varieties that have emerged in Huila in recent years. This lot, from Rubén Correa of Acevedo, Huila, is a great example of why it first caught our attention on the cupping table. In a clean, incredibly sweet cup, we taste spiced cherry and plum, dried mango, papaya, and pineapple.
PERC: Java Frinsa Estate—This is our second time sourcing this beauty from Java. If you tasted it last year, you’ll know why! It’s an intensely sweet and funky coffee. The anaerobic fermentation done at the farm contributes to its big fruity flavors, and the cup finishes with a deep, fudgy note that’ll keep you coming back for more. It’s truly a unique coffee that delivers all the wild vibes.
Stumptown Coffee: Guatemala El Injerto Pacamara—A seven-time winner of Guatemala’s prestigious Cup of Excellence competition, El Injerto Pacamara is one of the most highly anticipated coffees we roast all year. Known for its large size and award-winning profile, El Injerto Pacamara will captivate your senses like only a legendary coffee can. This year’s lot is pure decadence with notes of ripe peach and sugar cane complemented by a touch of sage.
Verve Coffee: Wilder Blend—This year’s Wilder Blend showcases three distinct processes from three different regions: a washed Costa Rican from Jose Alvarado’s farm El Higuero, a honey from the Sampieri family in Chiapas, Mexico, and a natural from a group of smallholders in Quiche, Guatemala. Earthy hints of Juniper meet the subtle tartness of Pomegranate and sweet Candied Citrus in every sip. Wilder is available in whole bean and Verve’s popular Craft Instant Coffee both in-store and via online purchase.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Corvus Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Denver, CO
Irving Farm Coffee Company - Service Technician - New York City, NY
Highwire Coffee Roasters - Director of Retail Operations - Oakland, CA
Minor Figures - Sales & Marketing Development - Remote/Portland, OR
Equator Coffees - Production Associate - San Rafael, CA
Equator Coffees - Associate Roaster - San Rafael, CA
Equator Coffees - Baristas - San Francisco/Marin County/Burlingame, CA
Equator Coffees - Shift Leads - San Francisco/Marin County/Burlingame, CA
Equator Coffees - Cafe General Managers - San Francisco/Marin County/Burlingame CA
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.
The Mill - Glen Arbor, MI
Trellis Coffee Bar - Augusta, GA
Edina Coffee Roasters - Edina, MN
Little Bear Coffee Shop & Wine Bar - Albuquerque, NM
Hunny & Honey Premium Coffee & Milk Bar - Oklahoma City, OK
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.