The Sprudge Report - World's Best Cup of Coffee
Plus a few more days to vote for the Sprudge Design Awards
Coffee deals for Black Friday weekend
Thanksgiving is over and now it’s time for the REAL American high holiday. Black Friday is upon us. As has become an annual tradition, the time has come to prepare for the gift-giving season by spending all too much money, and boy are there ever deals deals deals this year.
Elf, earnestness, and coffee marketing
Will Farrell’s Elf is a modern holiday classic, but for all its requisite silliness, it has quite a bit to say earnestness and the limits of stretching the truth in marketing. Is that really “the world’s best cup of coffee?” and who is really the fool for taking that at face value? Jackson O’Brien explores these themes in the film as well as what the coffee industry could take from them.
Dr. Bronner’s coffee and oat milk chocolate bar
It’s not everyday that a soap brand puts out something you’d want to eat. But not ever soap brand is Dr. Bronner’s, the hippy-dippy, feel-good, peace and love for all makers of fine castille soaps (tag yourself, I’m Hemp Citrus). This week, they released the Magic All-One Oat Milk Chocolate bar in three flavors, and one of those just so happens to be Creamy Mocha Latte.
Monogram gives back
Calgary’s Monogram Coffee is once again raising money in the holiday season. For their seventh year in a row, the Alberta coffee roaster is donating $5 of every bag of Merry + Bright sold to The Alex Community Health Centre.
A big week in science
There were some pretty exciting findings in the science world this week. First up, Taiwanese researchers found that drinking coffee limited the instances of COVID-19 cases in human trials. They even went so far as to recommend drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day as a preventative measure. Then, researchers at the University of Texas, El Paso found that coffee may provide not just preventative measures for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, but they may also be a cure in the early stages of the diseases.
Single origin cafes
While some cafes thrive on choice, almost overwhelming their customers with options, there are a new breed of coffee shop that takes the exact opposite approach. Single origin cafes, for a variety of reasons, focus solely on a single producing country, region, or farm even to provide a unique perspective on what those growing areas have to offer.
Three new World Coffee Champions
Last weekend, the eyes of the coffee world turned to Taipei for the Taiwan International Coffee Show, which played host to the Taipei World Coffee Championships. There, the final three disciplines of the 2023 World Coffee Championships took place: World Coffee in Good Spirits, World Latte Art Championship, and World Roasting Championship. And after three days of action, we now know the winners.
Voting closes Monday for the Sprudge Design Awards
This is your last call to cast your vote for the 2023 Sprudge Design Awards. Finalists span fifteen categories, and public voting is open now through Monday, November 27th at 11:59 pm PST.
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: Natural Bolvia AIPEP—This limited release offering is from the primary-level producer association AIPEP, located in the Yungas mountains of Bolivia. We found this natural processed coffee to be pleasantly dense, with notes of blueberry, grape and black tea in the cup.
Camber Coffee: Ethiopia Seid Adem Boruu—Seid Adem Boruu’s coffee was a national jury selection at this year’s Cup of Excellence competition. This naturally processed microlot was handpicked before being dried on raised beds on Seid’s farm. His coffee was carefully processed and sorted specifically for the COE competition. In the cup we taste refined notes of key lime, grapefruit, cacao nib, and strawberry.
CXFFEEBLACK: Baile Funk: Afro Brazilian Natural Process—Brought to you straight from an all-Black supply chain, we proudly present Baile Funk. Grown by resilient Black farmers in the heart of Brazil, this coffee is a testament to their unwavering spirit. It’s a blend of Yellow Catuca and Mundo Novoi, and every sip pays tribute to Brazil’s rich coffee heritage. This coffee is a cultural anthem.
Equator Coffees: Panama Finca Sophia Gesha Natural—Don’t miss out on the final release of award-winning coffee from this year’s harvest of Equator’s own Finca Sophia coffee farm in Panama! This Natural Gesha brews an unforgettable cup with sweet & floral of raspberry, tea rose, and cardamom. Sold as 6oz. bags of whole bean coffee.
Greater Goods Coffee Co.: Monteblanco—A tropical symphony in a cup! This coffee bursts with tropical flavors and a creamy sweetness that dances on your tongue. It’s like sipping on a glass of freshly squeezed mango juice, with a hint of lilikoi and a small bite of key lime pie. The unique processing, using whole passionfruit and cholupa, creates a complex and unique taste experience that will transport you to a warm and sunny paradise!
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: COE Elefante Nueva Granada—The origins of this varietal were unknown until recent genetic testing has discovered Elefante to be a combination of an unknown Ethiopian Landrace and the world-famous Bourbon. With great pleasure, we offer an exclusive lot of Elefante, a 2023 Cup of Excellence winner, grown by Gloria Rodriguez’s son, Roberto. Elefante Nueva Granada took 6th place in the competition with a score of 89.54 and was one of only two washed coffees in the competition. This intense attention to detail results in a final cup with stunning clarity and soft, velvety mouthfeel, with notes of juicy lychee, jasmine blossom, and turbinado sugar.
Monogram Coffee: Maximino Gutiérrez Tejada Gesha—This is the first gesha we have had from Maximino and the outstanding quality of this coffee is exactly as we would expect from him. Processed a honey, this coffee spends a little bit of time in contact with the fruit while it dries which gives this coffee complexity and sweetness. You’ll taste notes of iced tea, plum and milk chocolate in this delicious gesha.
Night Swim Coffee: Afterglow – Half Caf—Who says that decaf coffee can’t be delicious, satisfying and meaningful? For this holiday season, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some coffees that make us really happy. Afterglow is two naturally processed Ethiopian coffees, blended, and roasted to accentuate sweetness and sippability.
Olympia Coffee Roasters: Holiday Blend—Our annual Holiday Blend is back! This year’s blend draws inspiration from our beloved Pacific Northwest, paying tribute to the iconic, decked-out evergreen trees that usher in the holiday season and brighten our homes during the darkest time of the year.
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: Guatemala – Santa Elisa—Finca Santa Elisa sits on the western side of Acatenango, one of the three volcanoes that surround the charming city of Antigua Guatemala. This lot, consisting entirely of red bourbon, was processed by our friends Los Volcanes at Beneficio La Esperanza in Antigua. The result is a sweet, pristine coffee that reminds us of blood orange and tangerine supported by warm confectionary and caramels—delightful in a host of brewing methods from filter to espresso.
PERC Coffee: Holiday Blend—The roasting team has been in the workshop, tinkering away, mixing a little of this and a little of that. Now, the team has emerged with the perfect concoction. It’s smooth and sweet, with the perfect hint of roastiness to satisfy everyone in the family, even the grinchiest grinches and the scroogiest scrooges.
Stumptown Coffee: Guatemala El Injerto Pacamara —A seven-time winner of Guatemala’s prestigious Cup of Excellence competition, El Injerto Pacamara is one of the most highly anticipated coffees we roast all year. Known for its large size and award-winning profile, El Injerto Pacamara will captivate your senses like only a legendary coffee can. This year’s lot is pure decadence with notes of ripe peach and sugar cane complemented by a touch of sage.
Verve Coffee: Costa Rica Sumava Lactico Natural—Sweet Magnolia florals greet the nose at the first sip, complemented by the soft touch of White Peach. Concord Grape is woven throughout with a similar profile to natural wine, finishing the cup with a sparkling mouthfeel. Francisco Mena’s coffee has been sprinkled throughout our menu year after year, and he is someone that we are proud to partner with.
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Neighborhood Coffee - Lead Barista - Los Angeles, CA
Tradecraft Coffee - Key Account Program Manager, Specialty Coffee - Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York
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.
Ubora Coffee - Augusta, GA
Coffee Ride Cafe - Nyack, NY
Fresh Roasted Coffee - Sunbury, PA
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