The Sprudge Report - Tiramisu & Tesla Trucks
Plus Parasocial relationship and the man behind Rudy's Coffee
Content creators and parasocial relationships
There’s an interesting facet to being an online content creator: when you get into the real world, you may run into people who have developed a sense of closeness with you but you have no idea who they are. These are parasocial relationships and they can be difficult to navigate. In her latest feature, Editor at Large Jenn Chen talks with some of coffee’s biggest content creators to learn how they manage this new normal in their lives.
A cafe guide to Seville, Spain
It’s been six years since we last visited Seville, Spain, and a lot has changed since 2018. Many of the cafes we featured way back then have since closed, so it seemed high time for a second visit.
World of Coffee is heading to Geneva
In more global coffee news, the SCA announced the third host city for the 2025 World of Coffee event: Geneva, Switzerland. Taking place in late June, it will be the first time Geneva has hosted a WoC event. No word has yet been given on what, if any, World Coffee Championships will take place there.
Not a drink, but an entire bar
Espresso martinis are still all the rage and their momentum shows no signs of slowing down. And in New York City, there’s now even an entire espresso martini bar. They do have other things on the menu (because crazes don’t last forever), but the thrust of the menu is all espresso martini, with a few interesting twists of the coffee cocktail.
A pop-up shop in the back of a Tesla Cybertruck?
There is perhaps no more divisive of an automobile than the Tesla Cybertruck. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a suitable vehicle for a pop-up cafe. And in San Jose, Moonwake Coffee Roasters has done just that. With the vehicle’s larger battery, they are able to run a commercial espresso machine wherever they go, and turning heads in the process.
The greatest coffee tiramisu recipe ever
A good tiramisu is a thing of beauty. It’s sweet and creamy, decadent but light. And Sprudge co-founder Zachary Carlsen has brought an inventive new spin to the classic dessert. Using Snapchilled Intelligentsia Cold Coffee and Biscoff biscuits, Carlsen has reimagined the tiramisu from But First, Coffee, Sprudge’s coffee cookbook.
From the press release desk
This week, we learned of two new match tea offerings from Two Leaves and a Bud, a Barista Matcha latte blend and a Chef’s Matcha powder. Both are made from high-quality Japanese matcha and designed for the food service industry. Learn more about it here.
And now, the thrilling conclusion
Last week, after learning about Rudy Giuliani’s new coffee brand, we put out the question to our followers on Instagram: Who roasts for Rudy? And thanks to some resourceful internet sleuthing, we have our answer. This guy does. Darron “Don Pablo” Burke, owner of Burke Brands, LLC and Don Pablo Coffee. We’ve emailed the companies to learn more, but in the meantime, here’s what we know 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.
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.
Equator Coffees: Mary Sue & Susan’s Las Rosas Colombia—As an LGBTQ+-founded company, we’re proud to offer year-round support to community-based organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community. To kick off Pride month, we’re spotlighting one of our Chef Collection coffees, created with culinary duo Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken of Socalo restaurant. For each bag sold of this single-origin coffee—grown by members of the Las Rosas Women’s Coffee Project in La Plata, Colombia—we donate $1 to the Los Angeles LGBT Center and $1 to Regarding Her (RE:Her).
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: Half Moon (half caf)—Whether it’s your first cup of the morning or an afternoon pick-me-up, some moments call for a gentler cup of coffee. That’s where Half Moon comes in: this half-caf blend delivers all the comfort of your favorite coffee with only half the caffeine. To create Half Moon, we pair our beloved decaf offering, Nightcap, in a 50/50 blend with a fully caffeinated coffee from Brazil. The resulting profile is sweet and medium-bodied, with notes of walnut, sticky toffee pudding, and vanilla bean.
Madcap Coffee Company: Ejo Heza—Independently owned, the Kopakama Cooperative is made up of 1025 members, 400 of them women. In 2011, the board of Kopakama directors agreed to create a women’s group, giving them two plots of land. With only 200 members at the time, they called themselves “Ejo Heza,” which translates to “Bright Tomorrow” in Kinyarwanda, the national language of Rwanda.
We hope you can taste the immense effort their co-op puts into every pound of coffee. This year, enjoy notes of floral hibiscus, juicy plum, and brown 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.
Night Swim Coffee: Las Guacamayas – Natural—This 100% Yellow Bourbon lot from Nehemias Pimentel and Hugo Pineda is a sundried, anaerobically fermented coffee. The result on this lot from Jutiapa is a sweet, fruity, and syrupy coffee that reminds us of tropical fruits and caramel cream.
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 : Decaf Colombia Inzá San Antonio—Rest easy with this washed decaffeinated coffee from Cauca, Inzá. We’ve intentionally sourced this coffee for the purpose of decaffeination, selecting this regional lot from San Antonio for it’s structured sweetness of red apple and raw sugar, with a balanced acidity reminiscent of pear.
Partners Coffee: Ethiopia – Naga Singage—Our first Ethiopian coffee of the season comes from the Aricha Adorsi Washing Station in Yirgachefe. This fully washed selection comes from a few dozen farmers on Naga Singage, “the mountain of reconciliation,” named for a ceremony traditionally held there in which disputes are presented and communally resolved. In their coffee we taste stone fruit, citrus, and flowers: think apricot, tangerine, honey, and orange blossom.
PERC: Colombia Carolina Ramirez Brownie—Carolina Ramirez says the word that best describes this coffee is “serendipity.” Brownie was her first foray into experimental processing, and we think she knocked it out of the park. Brownie’s flavors remind us of tropical fruit, like pineapple and citrus, but the cup is truly defined by its rich, dark chocolate body. We’d go even as far as to say it’s thicc.
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
Counter Culture Coffee - Roasting Apprentice - Emeryville, CA
Stumptown Coffee Roasters - Machine Operator - Portland, OR
Rancilio Group North America - Full Time Technical Specialist - Woodridge, IL
Remedy Supply Co - Head Roaster & Green Coffee Coordinator - Auburn, CA
Coffeebar - Head Roaster - Reno, NV
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.
Khipu Coffee - Liverpool, England
Elemental Coffee - Oklahoma City, OK
Record Coffee Supply - Denton, TX
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.