The Sprudge Report - The Wes Anderson Of Coffee
And so many Builds.
Built to build
The 2025 Build-Outs of Coffee officially started last week, but this feels like the real first week, the week it got kicked into high gear. We featured four builds this week in a bi-coastal menagerie new cafes. There’s the established brands, Ithaca Coffee Company in Ithaca, NY and Pinup Coffee in Virginia Beach, VA, growing their reach. Meanwhile the young upstarts, Room Service Coffee in Ventura, CA and Steady Hand Cafe in Bradley Beach, NJ, are planting their flags for the first time.
The Starbucks Global Barista Championship
Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real and lifelike yet so utterly bizarre? Then you know how it feels to watch the Starbucks Global Barista Championship. It’s like the World Barista Championship but also not. It took place this week in Las Vegas, and crowned the victor out of over 84,000 global participants.
Coffee in Hanoi
Vietnam is synonymous with coffee. Though when most people think of it, they think of robusta, which the country is a leading producer of, and Vietnamese coffee, the sweetened condensed milk drink. Now, both are delicious, but let’s not elide over the modern specialty coffee movement taking place in Vietnam, and there is no better representation of that than Hanoi. The capital city is a blend of old and new, with excellent coffee to suit any taste. This week, we explore the cafes in Hanoi to bring you a little bit of both.
dun dun dun-dun-dun dun-dun-dun-dun Dog Spa!
Are you tired of your luxury pet care facility not having its own coffee shop? Is your dog spa not exclusive enough? Well then, let me introduce to you The Collar Club, West Hollywood’s newest and most posh members-only luxury dog spa and cafe. They describe themselves as “Los Angeles’ first-ever dog-centric cafe” with an “exclusive partnership” with Intelligentsia that “marks the first time Intelligentsia has partnered with another brand to create a dedicated coffee experience.”
Drones vs. coffee borer beetles
The coffee borer beetle is a pest that can damage entire coffee crops if left unchecked. But they are incredibly difficult to find. Now, researchers have created a new system to accurately detect the borer using drones and imaging software, witht he potential to save billions of dollars in crops.
Ecos del Café Year Two
Last year, Cafe Imports premiered the docuseries, Ecos del Café (Echoes of Coffee) where they interviewed some of their producer partners in Costa Rica. And now, the series has returned for Year Two, featuring twice as many producers, and it has kicked of at the famed Las Lajas Micromill.
Press releases
From our Press Release hub this week, we learned of Onyx Coffee Lab’s new line of instant coffees. Onyx Instant features a host of the brand’s single origin coffees and blends, now available in a just-add-water format.
Five Elephant and Wes Anderson team up
The Phoenician Scheme, Wes Anderson’s latest film, released recently in theaters worldwide. It was shot on location in Berlin, and Five Elephant just so happened to be the company that served coffee to the entire cast and crew for the duration of the shoot. Now they have collaborated once again for the Official Air Korda Coffee Travel Set. The limited edition kit features a travel bag, coffee, a mug, and other items inspired by the film in all its Wes Anderson-y glory.
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…
Equator Coffees – Decaf Kenya Mutheka Othaya
Klatch Coffee – Ready-To-Go Espresso
Mr. Espresso – Brazil Córrego Da Boa Vista
La Barba Coffee – Honduras Jose Enamorado Catuai
Verve Coffee Roasters – Morning Brew Blend
Onyx Coffee Lab – Ethiopia Gore Dako
Passenger – Colombia Jose Ever Muñoz
Olympia Coffee – Burundi Gitwe Natural Micro Lot 4
Portland Coffee Roasters – Endless Summer
Partners Coffee – Block Party
Heartwood Coffee – Bolivia Finca Rosita Java
Equator Coffees – Bolivia Finca Renacer Pacamara Natural
Sightglass Coffee – Summer Solstice
Madcap Coffee – Burundi Gitwe
THE BARN – Kayon Mountain
PERC – Colombia Linarco Rodriguez Pink Bourbon
Phil & Sebastian – Colombia Jose & Francy Martinez Pink Bourbon
Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Colombia El Jordan
Dune Coffee – Pacific Pride Foundation Blend
Night Swim Coffee – Kirimahiga AA
Joe Coffee – Lincoln Center
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Passenger - Barista - Lancaster, PA
Even Dough - Barista/Shift Manager - Carrboro, NC
La Marzocco - Technical Account Manager - Orlando/Tampa, FL
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Cafe Manager - Portland, OR
Papaver Roasting House - Baristas - Olympia, WA
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.