The champs are here
What a weekend it was at Expo in Chicago. There was a whole slew of new gear (more on that shortly), parties galore, and more coffee competitions than you could shake a stirring stick at. Taking place offsite, the last three US Coffee Championships—Coffee in Good Spirits, Latte Art, and Roasters—came to their thrilling conclusions. Meanwhile at the convention center, the Brewers Cup and Cup Tasters kicked off the World Coffee Championships season. It was quite a weekend, and we’ve got all the deets.
Popular drink is popular
Coffee is a pretty popular drink, this is not breaking news, or news at all really. But what is news is exactly how popular it is. In a new report by the National Coffee Association, not only are more Americans drinking coffee, but they are drinking more of it, with the number of daily drinkers at a 20-year high.
Coffee… to go?
Drinking coffee makes (most people) have to go. But did you know that being in places where coffee is typically served, like a cafe or book store, can also give you the tummy rumblings? It’s called the Mariko Aoki phenomenon, and it’s a very real thing.
Arabica finds a way
Arabica is a hybrid of the robusta and Eugenioides species of coffee. But is it a wild hybrid or did it require human intervention? That particular part of Arabica’s story was never known, until now. Thanks to new genetic mapping, researchers have traced the origins of Arabica back to at least 600,000 years ago, hundreds of thousands of years before homo sapiens first broke onto the scene. I guess that answers that.
Cannabis and coffee
For absolutely no reason at all, today we are checking in on Landrace Origins, a company out of Oakland, California combining coffee and cannabis. In lieu of infusing coffee with cannabis, the brand offers high quality versions of both and gives suggested pairing to complement one another.
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: Honey Comsa —This medium roast Honduran coffee from COMSA Cooperative has a mild, berry-like acidity and a full body. It features pronounced dried fruit notes in the aroma followed by prominent flavors of raisin, fig, and molasses. Certified Organic & Fair Trade Coffee.
Cxffeeblack: Fatherland—Kenya, Lions Hill Farm, Tinderet Nandi County, Solai Coffee Junt, Washed Peaberry. When my dad went to Africa while in college, Kenya changed his life. Years later, he introduced Kenyan coffee to our household. I didn’t know it then, but this was the first clue that coffee, like me, was black. This cxffee is our latest from the all black supply chain, sourced by the Kuria family. We met the Kuria family at the second inaugural Color of Coffee Collective, and we’re so excited to be able to share the the first of our collaborative offerings with you.
Equator Coffees: Colombia Cerro Azul Enano—A returning single origin favorite, Cerro Azul Enano is a complex Colombian coffee featuring the mysterious “Enano” coffee variety from our quality-obsessed friends at Granja La Esperanza. The resulting coffee is delicate, floral, and complex with flavors of jasmine, pink grapefruit, and creamsicle.
Greater Goods Roasting: Santa Gema—Last year, we had the privilege of visiting some incredible farms in Nicaragua, including Santa Gema. At Santa Gema, Mario Vilchez produces a remarkable maracaturra coffee with flavor notes of cherry cordial, tea rose, and tamarind. We’re proud to say that this coffee qualified for Nationals at the US Brewer’s Cup competition, a testament to its exceptional quality.
Joe Coffee: The Village—Currently, The Village comes from the Rubí sisters’ farm Finca Ruland 2, in Las Vegas, Honduras. Andrea and her sisters’ skill and diligence shine through this lot of washed and natural coffees. Expect a complex balance of layered acidity and structured sweetness. Beginning with notes of deep citrus and stone fruit, flavors arc towards ripe cherry as the coffee cools, leaving us with a final, soft note of spice and caramel.
Madcap Coffee Company: El Porvenir—El Porvenir translates to “things to come.” It also happens to be the very first coffee Madcap ever purchased back in 2008 — and we haven’t stopped yet. Headed by 4th generation farmer Gloria Rodriguez, the Rodriguez family operates five small farms located in the Apaneca region — known as the “Golden Coffee Belt” — in El Salvador. Coffee notes: brown sugar, rich black cherry, and baking chocolate in this sweet yet round-bodied cup.
Monogram Coffee: Elida Estate Catuai—Panama is now world famous for the gesha variety, producing some of the most delicious (and expensive) geshas in the world. Elida Estate is world famous for their gesha coffees, but they have not rested on their success and they are trying to improve every coffee they offer—including coffees that are not gesha. They grow a large amount of Catuai on the farm and they have developed a process that brings the best out of the variety, revealing the power and structure of Catuai, with big aromas, intense fruit, and a heavy body.
Night Swim Coffee: Kaku – Washed—The first container of specialty coffee left Yunnan, China for Australia in late 2015. Over the last nine years, Yunnan’s specialty coffee production has increased in leaps and bounds in both quantity and quality. We’re typically not familiar with specialty grade Asian coffees, but the truth is that these coffees can pass quality tests with flying colors and display an enormous amount of sweetness, consistency, and complexity. Tasting notes include Meyer Lemon, Mandarin, Almond, and Nutmeg.
Olympia Coffee Roasting: Ariz Family Gesha Natural—Olympia Coffee: According to our sourcing experts, this coffee is—and we quote—”insanely ****ing good.” The coffee-producing superpowers of Ricardo and Marco Ariz are responsible for this mindblowingly-delicious, anaerobic-natural Gesha from El Salvador. We found flavors of strawberry jam and gummy candies, along with a florality that makes for an extra elevated cup.
Onyx Coffee Lab : Doyenne—One 10oz Box of the World’s Best Female-Produced Coffee Once a Month + Roasted and shipped the first Wednesday of every month. Doyenne seeks to identify and amplify the stories of woman achieving incredible marks in coffee. The selections are curated by Andrea Allen, co-founder of Onyx Coffee Lab and 2020 US Barista Champion. The heart is for women to collaborate and to boost each other’s work and achievement through stories.
Partners Coffee: Burundi – Gahahe—Hundreds of farmers deliver their coffee to the Gahahe Washing Station in Kayanza, Burundi. The station serves the critical purpose of buying, sorting, and processing coffee, and also participates in a number of farmer outreach and support projects. In this fully washed lot, we taste delicious flavors of golden raisin and honey as well as dried apricot, caramel, lime, and subtle florals.
PERC: El Salvador Delagua Pacamara—We knew we had to bring it in as soon as we tasted this coffee. It reminds us of freshly picked strawberries, oranges, and maple syrup. Pacamaras are giant beans that yield big, juicy flavors with lots of sweetness, and Delagua delivers on that reputation in spades. Now, we can fit these beans in the dang bag.
Portland Coffee Roasters: Bridge Blend—This Limited Release is a blend of coffees from Guatemala and Peru. The Guatemala is from Maya Ixil, and the Peru is from the Pueblo Libre and Mamahuaca communities. When we cup this coffee it is floral and herbal, with hints of sugar cane and chocolate.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Ethiopia Mordecofe—We’ve been serving up Ethiopia Mordecofe for over 15 years now. A perennial favorite in our cafes for its versatility, it performs beautifully in any brew method. This year’s crop is brewing a complex and floral cup, sparkling with notes of nectarine, melon and jasmine.
Verve Coffee Roasters : ASTER— Formerly known as The 1950, Aster’s components highlight the best of what Ethiopian coffee has to offer. A key lime sweetness and brown sugar complexity come together to inspire adventure in your morning. As our only blend sourced from one origin roasted two different ways, Aster is our star on the map that marks the birthplace of coffee – Ethiopia.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
La Marzocco - Accounts Receivable Specialist - Seattle, WA
Minor Figures - Area Sales Representative - Austin, TX/Remote
Casa Brazil - Head Coffee Roaster - Austin, TX
La Colombe - Coffee Machine Technician - Washington, DC
Perc Coffee - Lead Barista - Atlanta, GA
Perc Coffee - Shop Manager - Atlanta, GA
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.
Dawn Cafe + Market - Nashville, TN
Shed - London, England
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.