And the winners are…
After an open nomination period and Finals and thousands upon thousands of votes, the winners of the 15th annual Sprudgie Awards are been announced. Across 13 categories, including the Outstanding Achievement Award given to eight individuals, the global compendium of winners represent 12 different countries across four continents. So let’s found out who they are, shall we?
A closer look at Stenophylla
In 2018, Dr. Aaron Davis of Kew Gardens discovered wild-grown populations of the coffee species Stenophylla in Sierra Leone. It was big news at the time. The species is naturally more heat-resistant, with a taste profile akin to its Arabica counterparts. And on Sprudge Special Projects, we take a deeper dive into Stenophylla, its history, its challenges, and the potential upside.
The many ways of cafes
There is no single mode for coffee shops; they are not a monolith. And we saw this very concept at work this week with the cafes we featured. As part of our Sprudge Maps Spotlight, we checked in with Glen Arbor, Michigan’s The Mill, a coffee shop inside a gorgeous rustic hotel. And for something a little more ephemeral, we went on a tour of pop-up shops around Washington DC that help drive the exciting coffee scene.
The British are coming! (To put salt in your coffee)
The accepted dichotomy is this: Brits love tea, Americans love coffee. Of course, that’s not the whole story, not by a country mile, but each country has a favorite beverage. So when an American scientist suggested tea could be improved by a pinch of salt, it didn’t go over great across the pond. In retaliation, the British said, “hands off our cuppa!” and suggested that maybe it is coffee that needs the salt.
News news news
Coming hot off the Press Releases desk, we learned of news that 2023 Australian Barista Champion—and 3rd place finisher at the World Barista Championship of the same year—Jack Simpson will be joining Mazzer as a brand ambassador for the Mazzer Racing Team.
How now brown cow?
You’ve no doubt put milk in your coffee before, but have you ever put coffee in your milk? By which, of course, I mean feeding coffee to cows. Well that’s what they are doing in Europe, and the early results are surprisingly eco-friendly. A new feed made of spent coffee grounds is cutting down on the need for imported soy and event curbing methane emissions from the cows themselves.
Union baristas can’t compete at Starbucks Barista Championship
Starbucks has entered their cartoon villain era of union negotiations. There was some speculation as to whether or not union stores would be invited to participate in the recently announced North American Barista Championship, and now there is an official answer: no, no they will not. It’s all very petty and frankly a prime example as to the exact sort of retaliation unionizing baristas want protection from.
The weed Freak’s a coffee Geek
Seth Rogen, Hollywood’s lovable stoner, has released his own coffee line. As part of Houseplant, his cannabis-focused lifestyle brand, Rogen has teamed up with Cometeer (which is certainly a choice) to a selection of coffees. Because “you can’t wake and bake, without first being awake.”
Here are the winners from the Washington DC Qualifying Events
The field for the national level of competition for the 2024 US Coffee Championships is now set. Following last weekend’s two Qualifying Events in the greater Washington DC area, the competitors moving on for final three disciplines have been decided. The Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Latte Art Championship all help their Qualifying Events, and now we know the 40 individuals moving on to Rancho Cucamonga and Chicago.
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.
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: El Salvador Finca Kilimanjaro Honey—Delicate and sweet, this honey-washed coffee from fifth generation coffee producer Aida Battle is a coffee we look forward to roasting every year. Aida’s coffee doesn’t just taste exceptional, it’s improving lives too. Aida has garnered admiration for her commitment to quality and transparency, as well as for providing high wages, health care and other benefits for her workers in the Santa Ana growing region.
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!
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: Ethiopia – Meselech Tube—Meselech Tube tends a three hectare farm in Sidama where she focuses her attention on high quality naturals. She is among a growing cohort of coffee farmers in Ethiopia whose production is available in isolation, traceable all the way to the farm itself. This lot is a classic representation of Sidama’s naturals—we taste syrupy strawberry, blueberry, banana, and black tea.
PERC: Guatemala Gerson Martinez Gesha—This Gesha from our old friend Gerson Martinez blew us away on the tasting table. It was sweet, fruity, and a layered complexity that revealed itself in waves. If you’re a fan of exciting coffees that expand your mind, you should get your hands on some of this sweet nectar. We only sourced a limited amount of this coffee, so snag some while you can!
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Colombia Huayku—A beloved coffee at Stumptown since 2013, Huayku is grown and produced by the Federación Abades—a group of over 200 smallholder coffee producers—in the mountainous region of Nariño. This year’s lot is a complex cup layered with tropical fruit, orange zest, and creamy milk chocolate.
Verve Coffee Roasters: Colombia Gabriel Castaño Pink Bourbon Single Origin Espresso—Decadent notes of fudge and molasses melt throughout Gabriel Castaño’s anaerobic-washed Colombia Pink Bourbon, rounded out by hints of strawberry as a sweet treat.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
La Marzocco - Sales Representative, SE Territory - VA, GA, FL, NC, SC, TN, KY, LA, AR, AL, MS, FL
The Coffee Quest - Coffee Quality Assistant, Part-Time - Austin, TX
Counter Culture - Regional Technical Services - 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.
Column 15 Coffee - Williamsburg, VA
Black Lab - University City, MO
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.