The Sprudge Report - The Sprudge Twenty
Nominations are open now!
The Sprudge Twenty returns!
The Sprudge Twenty is our annual initiative honoring and amplifying extraordinary individuals in the global specialty coffee community. Now in its sixth season—with more than 100 outstanding individuals honored since the program launched in 2019—we’re taking this opportunity to try something a little different, and using our platform to honor one segment of the coffee community that so richly deserves it. This season, The Sprudge Twenty has a unique format: we’re prioritizing Sprudge Twenty entries for individuals born before the year 1970. Nominations are open now!
Rock musician to coffee shop owner
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but a rock musician is opening a coffee shop. Benjamin Weinman, a founding member of the mathcore/metalcore band Dillinger Escape Plan is opening up Alkemy Coffee Co in Flemington, New Jersey. Should make for an interesting open mic night.
Robusta on the rise
Robusta is having quite a moment right now. The once-maligned coffee species has seen an increase share in overall coffee production, nearing 50%, and the price is on the uptick as well. This week, it reached a 16-year high, nearly $1.70 per pound on the commodities market, and that may drive up the desire for production even more.
The good and bad of automation
AI is coming for us all, even our coffee. It can be a mixed bag, though. There are things maybe we don’t want automation to take over, like say, the entire home coffee making process and the chance to learn and fall in love with the craft. There’s a new espresso machine that does that, and it’s… complicated. Then, on the decidedly good side, there’s a new delivery robot capable of bringing up to 16 coffees at one time.
In other news
It’s an transcontinental extravaganza in this week’s press releases. First up, Latte Art Factory. The German manufacturer of automated milk frothers is coming Stateside to introduce themselves to a US audience at Expo in Chicago. Then, the Switzerland-based Hemro took the show east to Shanghai for the Hotelex show.
Coffee in Tokyo’s Takadanobaba neighborhood
To try to put together a coffee shop guide to Tokyo, one of the world’s great coffee cities, would be a Herculean if not an entirely foolish undertaking. It’s best broken down into more manageable neighborhood-sized chunks. This week, we take a look at Takadanobaba, known just as “Baba”, an international student hub and all the wonderful coffee shops it contains.
A Carrot Cake Latte?!
Carrot cake is a thing you have with a coffee, not in a coffee, right? Right?! Wrong. At least not when you are at Be Bright Coffee in Los Angeles. Home to the newly crowned US Barista Champion Frank La, Be Bright has rolled out the Carrot Cake Latte as part of their spring menu. And take a guess what sweet bit would go best with it?
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: Super Bloom Blend—It’s the season for Super Bloom! Our vibrantly floral springtime seasonal blend combines the unique qualities of sustainable coffees from Burundi, Colombia, and Ethiopia to create a celebratory and diverse flavor profile. Like the Spring time, this coffee is floral, sweet, and vibrant with flavors of blackberry, violet, and cassis.
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: New Moon—Each season, Madcap’s roasting team creates a seasonal blend to reflect the flavors of the moment, combining shining single origins to create an exceptional blend experience. This year’s New Moon blend captures the first breeze of fresh air when the windows are open, complete with fresh blossoms and beams of sunshine. A balanced blend of two coffees, Reko from Ethiopia and Juan Angel from Honduras, enjoy tasting notes of cherry blossom, rhubarb, and sweet agave with your windows open.
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: Zulieth Sancho Masabuel – Colombia—Zulieth is the daughter of Luz Mila Masabuel, another eminent coffee farmer from Inzá, Cauca, in southwestern Colombia. Following in her mother’s path, Zulieth cultivates a two hectare plot of mostly castillo and delivers her coffee to Pergamino’s collection point nearby. This is a lovely expression of Cauca’s classic washed profile, pairing crisp red apple with warm cherry, caramel, milk chocolate, and subtle citrus.
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
METAD - Global Sales and Business Development Representative - USA
The Coffee Quest - Coffee Quality Assistant, Part-Time - Austin, TX
Corvus Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Denver, CO
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