The Sprudge Report - World Coffee Championships
Four World Coffee Championship events are happening this weekend in Athens.
Inside La Marzocco’s Officine Fratelli Bambi
At their home in Florence, Italy, La Marzocco churns out some of the most sought-after espresso machines on the market. But what that truly means can only be understood upon visiting. Officine Fratelli Bambi is La Marzocco’s manufacturing distilled down to its most artisan. This isn’t where they churn out the countless Lineas that serve as the backbone of cafes the world over, but something more design-forward, more experiential. It’s something that has to be seen to be believed, and we were lucky enough to lay eyes on it for ourselves.
Irish coffee, but not like that
There are so many reasons to visit Dublin, Ireland, one of the great historical cities of Europe. Of course, there are all the pubs, and if you fancy a pint, it’s 100% true that the Guinness tastes different—and better—than it does here Stateside. But their coffee scene is equally worth the trip. Yes, there are staple cafes like 3fe that have been here since the early 2000s, but a new crop of exciting coffee shops have also opened in the past few years. And here in 2023, we are taking a trip to Dublin to see what is new and exciting in the world of coffee.
Equator Coffees celebrates ten years of Proof Lab
Equator Coffees has been a staple in the Bay Area coffee scene since 1995, but it wasn’t until 2013 that they opened their first cafe, known as Proof Lab. Now that shops is turning 10—the same month as Pride—and Equator is rolling out a host of festivities, including limited edition merch, bike rides, and the very tasty Celebration Cake Latte.
Weber Workshops gets buck
Weber puts out some of the coolest barista tools on the market, hands down. And now they are reimagining the naked portafilter with the all new Buck. Coinciding with the Buck, Weber is also releasing three new sizes of their Unibasket for even more precision dosing and shot pulling. When your equipment looks this good, the espresso can’t be too far behind.
Dress up and throw down
I love a good latte art throwdown. Add in a drag show and you better believe I’ll be there. And in Chicago, The Understudy Coffee & Books has teamed up with Metric Coffee to host Cafe Queens: A Drag Show and Latte Art Throwdown. It’s pouring art and breaking hearts. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday.
The Build-Outs of Coffee are here!
It has officially begun, the 2023 Build-Outs of Coffee! Now in its astounding 11th year, the BooC is our annual summer series highlighting new and in-the-works cafes, roasteries, coffee carts, and collaborative spaces. If thoughtful coffee is happening in new places in 2023, it’s in the Build-Outs. And we are kicking things off this year in Dallas, Texas, with Wayward Coffee’s new Design District location. This is just the start. We’ve got new cafes coming your way all summer long. If you want your new coffee project featured as part of the Build-Outs of Coffee, give us a shout!
Go Midwest, young man
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Kansas City’s FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective has acquired a Midwest coffee company. Coming hot off the heels of buying two Minnesota coffee brands, FairWave has expanded into Minnesota with the acquisition of Milwaukee stalwarts Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. This brings the total to 10 brands under the FairWave umbrella.
World of Coffee Athens
This weekend, World of Coffee—the SCA’s premiere global expo—is taking place in Athens, bringing four World Coffee Championships with it. New winners will be crowned at the World Barista Championship, World Brewers Cup, World Cup Tasters, and World Cezve/Ibrik Championship. We’ll be keeping a close eye on all the goings on, so stay tuned as announcements are made.
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.
Dayes Coffee Roasters - Middletown, NY
Publik Coffee - Salt Lake City, UT
Heavy Water Coffee Shop - Los Angeles, CA
Mousi Café - Belém, Brazil
313 Cafe - Seneca, SC
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