The Sprudge Report - The Sprudge Twenty
Plus controversy at Best of Panama 2024.
Introducing the class of 2024
The Sprudge Twenty is our annual initiative to honor the movers and shakers progressing the specialty coffee industry, and this year, we focused on individuals born before 1970. It’s no surprise then that this year’s class is the most tenured we have ever had in our six years doing the Sprudge Twenty. We’ll be publishing interviews with each inductee over the coming weeks and months, but for now, let’s them shall we?
Coffee is popular thanks to specialty
Coffee consumption in America is at a two-decade high, and the reason for that is due primarily to the rise of specialty coffee. A new joint study by the National Coffee Association and the Specialty Coffee Association find that, for the first time ever, more people are drinking specialty coffee than traditional coffee.
Builds, builds, builds
Another week, another rousing round of Build-Outs of Coffee. This weeks coast-to-coast selection kicks off in Atlanta, with an all-new technicolor location for PERC Coffee. Then, we head to Portland to check in on Our Spot PDX, a cafe with a small footprint but big ideas on sustainability. Finally, we go down south to Birmingham, Alabama for Bandido Coffee, a new concept bringing Latin inspiration and flavors to the local coffee scene.
Gird yourself against a slow death
Working in an office is killing you, literally. A sedentary life, like sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, has been show to lead to an increase in all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular disease-related deaths. Coffee, it turns out, has the opposite effects in those two areas, and new research finds that those desk-bound can offset some of the perils of a sedentary life by drinking coffee.
Ecos del Café
Our friends over at Cafe Imports have announced a brand new documentary series, Ecos del Café: Narrativas de Productores Costarricenses (Echos of Coffee: Narratives from Costa Rican Producers). The three-episode series will take viewers inside the lives of Costa Rican coffee producers, and the first episode is out now.
From the press release desk
It was a big week in press releases, due in large part to the upcoming World of Coffee Copenhagen event taking place next week. Esteemed equipment manufacturers DiFluid, Cropster, and Slayer Espresso as well as Canadian roaster Phil & Sebastian all announced events and activations surrounding this year’s biggest coffee trade show in Europe. Elsewhere, Portland Coffee Roasters announced an all new collaboration coffee with local baseball club, the Portland Pickles.
Controversy at Best of Panama 2024
Panama produces some of the most prized and expensive coffee the world has ever seen. And at this year’s Best of Panama competitions, four entries were processed using a fruit-infusion or co-ferment, which led to their disqualification. In response, the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama’s president released a statement denouncing the practice, offering some rather fiery opinions about the novel fermentation methods.
The Coffee Buildcast
On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, host Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen are talking all about the thrill of the build. We’re two weeks into the 2024 Build-Outs of Coffee, and we’ve already seen some incredible cafes. Michelman and Carlsen go deep on some of their favorites thus far.
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: Burundi Nemba—This beautiful lot represents the unique flavors available in coffees from the region. It comes from the Nemba washing station in the Hills of Kayanza in Burundi. It’s sugary aroma is reminiscent of ginger, molasses and red fruit. Unique flavors of gingersnap cookies, apricot and molasses are balanced by a pleasantly citric cup.
The Barn Coffee Roasters Berlin: Huey Mountain Natural—Rwanda is the land of 1000 hills and it has great growing conditions: High altitude, regular rainfall, rich soil and people working with passion. We have been buying coffee from Huye Mountain for over ten years now. Both the quality and cup profile have been very consistent over this whole period. Our natural processed lot has intense flavours of cherry, chocolate, and marzipan.
Cxffeeblack: Ubudasa—Ubudasa is a Kinyarwandan word loosely translated to mean the uniqueness of something or how something just hits different. In partnership with Higa coffee, a natural anaerobic from Businide station in the Kayanza district in Burundi. You already know, All-Black supply chain. Notes of grape Jolly Rancher, mango Jumex, and cinnamon. Proceeds from the sale of this coffee go to support Phase 2 of the Black Barista Exchange Program.
Dune Coffee: Indonesia Bener Meriah—Bener Meriah comes from Mikael Jasin’s company Catur Coffee, who works with producers in Aceh to apply intentional post-harvest processing methods to push the boundaries of what has been thought possible from traditional Indonesian coffee varieties. Through anaerobic processing and yeast inoculation, we taste juicy red berry flavors and a creamy texture in the cup.
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.We love this coffee so much that we bought their entire harvest! This Equator Coffees exclusive is delicate, floral, and complex with flavors of jasmine, pink grapefruit, and creamsicle.
Greater Goods Coffee Roasters: Basha Bekele—Our latest release from Ethiopia is a juicy fruit bomb from the Sidama region. Grown at the mid-bending altitude of 2000 plus meters above sea level, this coffee is a great example of how clean and beautiful extremely highgrown coffee can be. In the cup we got mouth-watering notes of dried strawberry, grape candy, and star jasmine.
Joe Coffee: Lincoln Center—Summertime in New York City is an especially celebratory time. Designed to capture the unique spirit of the season, Lincoln Center is a juicy, dynamic coffee, perfect for summertime sipping. Especially delicious on ice, Lincoln Center is a washed lot from the Turihamwe women’s group in Ngozi, Burundi. As you sip, it blossoms into something greater than the sum of its parts, with notes of ripe peach, tart tangerine, raspberry jam, and a grounding black tea bitterness to make the sweetness even more dynamic and memorable.
Madcap Coffee Company: Reko—One of Madcap’s most well-known single origin offerings gets its namesake from the Reko mountain and the Reko coffee washing station. The coffee here is marked by its floral, tea-like, and complex quality. Even among world-class coffees, Reko is the sparkling gem of washed Ethiopian flavor. 2024 marks our eleventh year purchasing Reko, with this season’s lot gifting us notes of lemon candy, juicy peach, and turbinado sugar.
Monogram Coffee: Don Isaias, Huila, Colombia—This Pink Bourbon from Don Isaias is a testament of hard work and striving to always improve. Don Isaias and local workers ferment the cherry for three days after harvest then dry for ten to fourteen days. The cup is well balanced with chocolate and fruit notes.
Mr. Espresso: Italian Espresso Trio—A Trio of Italian Classics. Return to the place where espresso began with Mr. Espresso’s trio of regionally inspired blends from Tuscany, Trieste and Naples. The elegant medium-roast Tuscan offers sweet chocolate and butterscotch notes; the light-roast Triestino has complexity of nut and fruit; and the company’s medium-dark signature Neapolitan delivers dark chocolate, hazelnut and caramel.
Night Swim Coffee: Jairo Arcila – EF2 Natural—A masterclass in processing, the work Cofinet and Jairo Arcila’s team have done at Santa Monica and La Pradera produced a very balanced, sweet, and clear encapsulation of the best characteristics of the Java variety. Take this limited opportunity to join us in enjoying the remarkable sundried Java varietal from Quindio, Colombia. We think you’ll find your childhood in it’s limeade-like acidity, sweet and sticky strawberry frutiness, and a syrupy, lingering, chocolate-y mouth feel.
Olympia Coffee: Sweeetheart, Brazil Serra Dos Ciganos Natural—We obsess over perfecting Sweetheart’s roast profile, creating a sweet, balanced coffee with beautiful flavor clarity. The region of Mogiana is known for exceptional quality and community strength. We sourced this lot from small farms in partnership with FAF, a supplier committed to environmentally and economically sustainable coffee.
Onyx Coffee Lab : Unnecessarily Soulful — Lamps x Onyx Collaboration. This limited offering was created in celebration of the release of Jon Lampley’s debut album, Night Service: Live at LunÀtico. Lampley has been a major contributor to some of the most versatile, hardest-grooving ensembles currently at work, including The Late Show Band (of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), O.A.R., and Huntertones. Brew yourself a cup, and sit back and enjoy an album that pulls from Jon’s strongest inspirations, evoking a positivity that will leave you feeling delightfully and even unnecessarily soulful.
Partners Coffee: Block Party—Returning to our menu for its second year, Block Party is a celebration of the sunny days ahead. Designed to be enjoyed hot, iced, or cold brewed, it has a refreshing flavor profile perfect for summer. In a range of brewing methods you’ll find notes of strawberry, blueberry, watermelon, and pink lady apple bathing in rich caramelized sugars.
PERC Coffee: Honduras La Esmeralda—We’re back with another coffee from our pals at La Esmeralda in Honduras. This lot is naturally processed, which contributes to its fruitier flavors in the cup. The first thing you’ll notice about La Esmerelda is the aroma. It has a strawberry candy-like scent (think Twizzlers.) In the cup, you get tons of sweetness with flavors that remind us of red fruit, marshmallows, and cacao, and a sweet finish that will have you coming back for refills all day.
Portland Coffee Roasters: Anniversary Roast—Dedicated to our customers who’ve supported us since we began in 1996: this Limited Release is a blend of coffees from Colombia and Costa Rica. The Colombia is from Finca Palmichal, and the Costa Rica is from Finca La Hilda. This coffee has a nice acidity and body, with some citrus fruit, plum, and chocolate notes.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Ecuador Rancho Carmen—This coffee is a combination of small lots from a group of 35 producers in Ecuador’s southernmost province. Rancho Carmen has a lush ganache body elevating notes of raspberry jam and brown sugar in a vibrant cup.
Verve Coffee Roasters : Limoncillo Farmlevel Reserve—This very rare mutated yellow Pacamara from El Limoncillo has a beautiful spiced and citric profile. Those who enjoy herbal and complex coffees will find this limited batch delightful.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Cosecha - Part-Time Coffee Sales Director & Partnerships Advisor - Remote
Oatly - Barista Market Developer, Miami - Miami, FL
Novo Coffee - Store Manager - Denver, CO
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Machine Operator - Portland, OR
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Roaster - Portland, OR
Portland Coffee Roasting - Product Marketing & Innovation Manager - Portland, OR
Endi-Tech Beverage Solutions - Espresso Technician - Tacoma, 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.
Stumptown Coffee - Pasadena, CA
Jacob Alejandro - Troy, NY
Hala Tree Cafe - Kaaawa, HI
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.