Hey! You got your Nationals in my Qualifying Event! And you got your Qualifying Event in my Nationals! It’s a new paradigm as the same Coffee Champs event hosts the national stages of competition for the US Barista Championship and Brewers Cup as well as the second and final Qualifying Event for the Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and Roaster Championships.
Day Two in Orange County is going to see competitions at a variety of stages, literally and otherwise; while the Qualifying Events are just getting underway, the Brewers Cup enters Day Two of Round One and the Barista Championship is already onto the Semi-Final round. But everything is converging to the same endpoint: the announcements of those moving onto to the next stage of competition, be it at the national round taking place at Expo in Portland later in February, or for the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup, to represent the United States in Melbourne at the World Coffee Championships.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s take a look at everyone competing at Day Two of the US Coffee Champs event in Orange County, California.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
US Barista Championship Semi-Finals
9:30am Gisel Alvarez, Monarch Coffee
9:50am Heather McCullough, Novo Coffee
10:10am Anthony Ragler, Black and White Coffee Roasters
10:30am Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
10:50am Chelsea Kallman, Stay Golden Coffee Co
11:10am Steph Caronna, North Carolina Museum of Art
11:30am Elisabeth Johnson, Hagen Coffee Roasters
11:50am Avery Leith, Huckleberry Roasters
12:10pm Austin Amento, Augie’s Coffee
12:30pm Meg Skop
12:50pm Kay Cheon, Dune Coffee Roasters
1:10pm Sam Neely, Amethyst Coffee Company
1:30pm Reyna Callejo, Olympia Coffee
1:50pm Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab
2:10pm Jason Yeo, Saint Frank Coffee
2:30pm Rodrigo Vargas, Elixr Coffee Roasters
2:50pm Sam Spillman, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
3:10pm Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
US Brewer Cup Round One, Day Two
10:35am Chelsea Dubay, Joe Van Gogh
10:50am Elika Liftee, Onyx Coffee Lab
11:05am Caleb Lewis, Maiden Coffee
11:20am Tyler Duncan, Topeca Coffee Roasters
11:35am Aaron Stout, Oregon Coffee Board
11:55am Zack Stamey, Hex Coffee
12:10pm Ken Selby, Blossom Coffee Roasters
1:00pm Mary Houston, Red Rooster Coffee
1:15pm Ben Phillips, Stumptown Coffee
1:30pm Jerry Ponzer, Messenger Coffee
1:50pm Joe Lacey, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
2:05pm John Kruegler, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
2:20pm Paul Menefee, Archetype Coffee
2:35pm Jennifer Hwang, Klatch Coffee
2:50pm Lance Hedrick, Onyx Coffee Lab
Coffee in Good Spirits
10:05am Alexandra Hager, CJ Foodville USA
10:20am Rob J. Rodriguez, Night Shift Brewing
10:35am Meghan-Annette Reida
10:50am John Maniquis, The Point
11:05am Matt Kumar
11:20am Robert Hainley
11:35am Elliott Spencer, Venture Coffee Co
11:50am Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Cup Tasters
10:35am Heat One
Amit Manocha, Cafe Tracker
Ryan Jie Jiang
Zayne Dietterick, Village Coffee Imports
Joel R. Lohner, Theory Coffee Roasters
11:35am Heat Two
Levi Rogers, La Barba Coffee/Sustainable Harvest
Daryn Berlin, Jetplane Coffee
Luna O’Neal
Will Andrews, Press Coffee Roasters
12:35pm Heat Three
Juan Gutierrez, Menotti’s Coffee Stop
Joseph Bloom, Switchback Coffee Roasters
Jonathan Whalen, Mr. Espresso
Melissa White, Savaya Coffee Market
2:35pm Heat Four
Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Dylan Miller, Iconik Coffee Roasters
Ryan Sullivan, Mostra Coffee
Sarah Fillmore, Keffa Coffee
3:35pm Heat Five
Kim Khuyen Le
Phil Gohata, Solid Coffee Roasters
Spencer Aidukaitis, Peixoto Coffee
Talitha Clemons
4:35pm Heat Six
Lydia Nolen, Augie’s Coffee
Ken Selby, Blossom Coffee Roasters
McKenzie Alexander, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Sirada (Peace) Sakulclanuwat
Roasters Championship
10:00am Rev. Thomas J. Chandler III, Black Oak Coffee Roasters
10:06am Carlos Sims Jr., Happy Home Coffee Roasters
10:12am Rudy Altamirano, Ilustre Coffee
10:18am Andrew Coe, Elevator Cafe & Commons
11:00am Francisco Flores Monterrosa, Equator Coffees
11:06am Kyle Croft, Stray Sheep Coffee
11:12am Sam LaRobardiere, Theory Collaborative
11:18am Brian Clemens, Relevant Coffee
12:00pm Marcus Young, Boot Coffee
12:12pm Weston Nawrocki, Manzanita Roasting Company
12:18pm Yingsha Yang, Nossa Familia Coffee
2:00pm Chiahung (Alex) Huang, Aroma Craft Coffee
2:06pm Joe Yang, In J Cafe
2:12pm Corey Wall, Little Owl Coffee
2:18pm Anca O’Malley, Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters
3:00pm Stephany Davila, Oregon Coffee Board
3:06pm Kebby Vincent, Roadkill Witchcraft
3:12pm Marian Lewis, La Barba Coffee
3:18pm Ho Young Chae, Gabee Coffee
It’s finally here, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the 2020 US Barista Championship and US Brewers Cup. While the three events still in the Qualifying Event rounds don’t get started until Day Two, the national competitions are putting in 50% more days and getting started a day earlier.
Day One will feature 39 coffee professionals—24 in Barista and 15 in the Brewers Cup—taking their respective stages, vying for a chance to move one step closer to the ultimate goal, being crowned the US Champion. For Barista, six competitors, just a quarter of the total field, will move on to the Semi-Final round tomorrow, where they will be joined by the 12 individuals that earned byes thanks to stunning performances in prior Qualifying Events. For the Brewers Cup, the competitors will have to wait until the other half of the field competes in Day Two to learn the six making it to the Finals on Sunday.
Day One is just the beginning of a marathon weekend of coffee competition, so buckle up. Here are the competitors taking the stage for Day One of the US Barista Championship and US Brewers Cup.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
US Barista Championship Round One
9:30am Rodrigo Vargas, Elixr Coffee Roasters
9:50am Miranda Haney, Greater Goods Coffee
10:10am Jason Yeo, Saint Frank Coffee
10:30am Elisabeth Johnson, Hagen Coffee Roasters
10:50am Ryan Moser, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
11:10am Leah Ritsema, Madcap Coffee Company
11:30am Topher Ou, Little Collins
11:50am Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
12:10pm Tyler Montague, Brew Coffee Bar
12:30pm David Castillo, Go Get Em Tiger
12:50pm Grace Rathbone, Ada’s Discovery Cafe
1:10pm Kae Bonaguro, Collective Espresso
1:30pm Kristi Persinger
1:50pm Hugo Cano, Amberson Coffee/Bar Nine
2:10pm Gisel Alvarez, Monarch Coffee
2:30pm Michelle Johnson, Red Bay Coffee
2:50pm Casey Wilson, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
3:10pm Nathan Ngo, Dune Coffee Roasters
3:30pm Adam JacksonBey, Tell Coffee
3:50pm Meg Skop
4:10pm Kylan Reasoner, Sayso Coffee
4:30pm Reyna Callejo, Olympia Coffee
4:50pm Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
5:10pm Juan Diaz, Santo Coffee Co
US Brewer Cup Round One, Day One
10:35am Jeremy Ecklund, Dune Coffee Roasters
10:50am Alyssa Bell, Taproom Coffee
11:05am Weihong Zhang, BlendIn Coffee Club
11:20am Austin C Bowers, Third Wave Coffee
11:35am Jesus Iniguez, Archetype Coffee
11:55am Kristina Jackson
12:10pm Kyle Knight, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
1:00pm Chris Culler, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
1:15pm Sirada (Peace) Sakulclanuwat, Coffee Project NY
1:30pm Philip Hatter, Vienna Coffee Company
1:50pm Demi Chacón
2:05pm Monica Sandoval, Augie’s Coffee
2:20pm Josh Modisette, Narrative Coffee
2:35pm Tommy Kim, Balrog Coffee
2:50pm Andres Morales, Coffee Project NY
After over 200 competitors graced five different stages, we now know who will be moving on from the 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee.
For the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup competitors, they will be heading to Orange County, California next month to join the other half of the field already decided earlier this year in Sumner. For Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and the Roasters Championships, the competitors will have to wait a little longer, until April, for their national level competition taking place at Expo in Portland. Those moving on in the latter three competitions mark the first entries into the next stage, awaiting the results from the final Qualifying Event running in the OC concurrently with the USBC and USBrC.
It was two long days this weekend at the Track One event center that somehow breezed by and were over in an instant. While some will take home what they learned this year and return a stronger competitor, others get to enjoy a brief moment of joy/relief to celebrate moving on before preparing to tighten up their routines for the US Coffee Championships.
But before we look too far ahead into the future, let’s celebrate everything that happened this weekend. Here is everyone who is moving on from the 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Nashville Qualifying Event is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Barista Championship
1. Sam Spillman, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
2. Chelsea Kallman, Stay Golden Coffee Co
3. Avery Leith, Huckleberry Roasters
4. Anthony Ragler, Black and White Coffee Roasters
5. Heather McCullough, Novo Coffee
6. Steph Caronna, North Carolina Museum of Art
7. Jason Yeo, Saint Frank Coffee
8. Gisel Alvarez, Monarch Coffee
9. Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
10. Leah Ritsema, Madcap Coffee Company
11. Kristi Persinger
12. Tyler Montague, Brew Coffee Bar
13. Kylan Reasoner, Sayso Coffee
14. Miranda Haney, Greater Goods Coffee
15. Michelle Johnson, Red Bay Coffee
16. Ryan Moser, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
17. Grace Rathbone, Ada’s Discovery Cafe
18. Casey Wilson, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Brewers Cup
1. Elika Liftee, Onyx Coffee Lab
2. Jennifer Hwang, Klatch Coffee
3. Ben Phillips, Stumptown Coffee
4. Tyler Duncan, Topeca Coffee Roasters
5. Jesus Iniguez, Archetype Coffee
6. Alyssa Bell, Taproom Coffee
7. Austin C Bowers, Third Wave Coffee
8. Kristina Jackson
9. Andres Morales, Coffee Project NY
10. Weihong Zhang, BlendIn Coffee Club
11. Philip Hatter, Vienna Coffee Company
12. Joe Lacey, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
13. Chelsea Dubay, Joe Van Gogh
14. Kyle Knight, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
15. Zach Stamey, Hex Coffee
Coffee in Good Spirits
1. Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
2. MiMo, Sey Coffee
3. Jalen Kelly, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
4. Matt Foster, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
5. Linnea True, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
6. Cyrenthia Ngueya, Onyx Coffee Lab
7. Dan Hilburn, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
8. Christina Lee, Brandywine Coffee Roasters
9. Mika Turbo
10. Beatriz Aguirre, Waterbean Coffee
11. Brandon Lucas
12. Dawn Shanks, Peregrine Espresso
Cup Tasters
1. Chelsea Thoumsin
2. Jeff Mooney, Folly Coffee Roasters
3. Kim Nguyen, Intelligentsia Coffee
4. Jason Burkum, Archetype Coffee
5. Samuel Demisse, Keffa Coffee
6. Kat Adams, La Colombe
7. Adam Walsh, JBC Coffee Roasters
8. Lindsay Rho, Idea Coffee
9. Aaron Lerner, SkyTop Coffee
10. Mehmet Sogan, Memli Coffee Lab
11. Julien Langevin, Bard Coffee
12. Bear Solivan, Onyx Coffee Lab
13. Michael W Burkarski, Salt City Coffee
14. Matthew Gleaves, Spyhouse Coffee Roasters
15. Sarah Hise, Stovetop Roasters
16. Hyoung wuk (Luke) Jung, Ghost Roasters
Roasters Championship
1. Ross Bryant, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
2. Jeremy Moore, Bonlife Coffee Roasters
3. Evan Inatome, Elixr Coffee
4. Eric Stone, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters
5. Nathan Van Dusen, Brio Coffeeworks
6. Jason Burkum, Archetype Coffee
7. Aaron MacDougall, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
8. Kennth Thomas, Umble Coffee Co
9. Sawyer Beckley, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
10. Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Organics
11. Daniel Whitmore, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
12. Hunter Day, Twelve Gate Coffee Co
Photos by Elizabeth Chai for Sprudge
And that’s a wrap for the 2020 US Barista Championship Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee! Well, at least as far as the competitors go. It’s now up to the judges to undergo the unenviable task of deciding who will be moving on to the US Barista Championship next month in Orange County, California.
A total of 18 coffee professionals will join the other half of the field who already earned their spot in the USBC at the Sumner, Washington Qualifying Event last month, with the top six from this weekend’s event earning a bye into the Semi-Final round. We saw the return of barnstormers like Glitter Cat alum Anthony Ragler who is looking to improve upon his stunning 8th place finish in his rookie season last year and we got to witness the return of none other than Mama Mocha herself Sarah Gill, whose Southern charm and larger-than-life stage presence easily made her the crowd favorite at last year’s Nashville Qualifying Event.
But before anyone can start planning their trip to sunny Southern California they, the first step is to make it out of Nashville alive, and while the judges decide the fates of our sum total 54 competitors, let’s take a look back at Day Two of the US Barista Championship Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Nashville Qualifying Event is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Ryan Moser, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
Anna Rozenberg, Rex Coffee
Miranda Haney, Greater Goods Coffee
James May Lee
Kylan Reasoner, Sayso Coffee
Emma Leibman, Peregrine Espresso
Kyla Villamor, Honolulu Coffee
Casey Wilson, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Maud Hasler, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
Cydni Patterson, Cafe Driade
Morgan Eckroth, Tried & True Coffee
Paige Hicks, Trade and Lore Coffee
Matthew Scott, Lemonjello’s Coffee
Ali Abderrahman, La Reunion
Avery Leith, Huckleberry Roasters
Tyler Montague, Brew Coffee Bar
Jordan Hershberger, Coat Check Coffee
Kristi Persinger
Morgan Mooney-Honeychurch, Revelator Coffee Company
Grace Rathbone, Ada’s Discovery Cafe
Jessica Messer, Red Rooster Coffee Roaster
Sarah Hise, Stovetop Roasters
Gisel Alvarez, Monarch Coffee
Anthony Ragler, Black and White Coffee Roasters
Sam Schaefer, Espy/Anthology
Chelsea Kallman, Stay Golden Coffee Co
Mama Mocha, Mama Mocha’s Coffee
Sam Spillman, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Photos by Elizabeth Chai for Sprudge
Day One of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee is in the books! Coffee professionals from across the United States descended upon the Track One event center in hopes of punching their tickets to the US Barista Championship taking place later next month in Orange County, California.
Today’s field was full of competition veterans like Jenna Gotthelf and Steph Caronna as well as a few doe-eyed rookies, each trying to put their best foot forward and impress the judges. Today also brought with it the triumphant return to competition of one Michelle Johnson who has not competed in nearly three years. With 25 competitors taking the stage today, the action came hot and heavy; blink and may miss the magic. Luckily for those with ill-timed eye movements, Sprudge was on hand all day to track the action. So let’s look back at everything that was Day One of the 2020 US Barista Championship Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Nashville Qualifying Event is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Julius Delacruz, Lamplighter Coffee Roasters
Jason Yeo, Saint Frank Coffee
Kate Eichler, Free Press Coffee House
Jinwoo Ahn, Cafe Grumpy
Zedeeka Fulay, One Line Coffee
Marsinah Hopkins, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
Dana Walls, Sunergos Coffee
Sam Leyba, Arrow Coffee Company
Audrey Kim, La Colombe
Rei Rosenquist, ChadLou’s Coffee Roasters
Dom Rodriguez, Metric Coffee Co
Nicole Leigh Henderson, Peregrine Espresso
Sawyer Beckley, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
Laura Ostendorff, Junto
Heather McCullough, Novo Coffee
Fil Hernandez, Union Coffee Co
Michelle Johnson, Red Bay Coffee
Steph Caronna, North Carolina Museum of Art
Elijah Wright, Hawaiian Village Coffee
Holly Griffith, Avoca Coffee Roasters
Philip-Andrew Yuen, Honolulu Coffee
Leah Ritsema, Madcap Coffee Company
Tracy Jiang, Intelligentsia Coffee
Chris Dennis, Klatch Coffee
Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
See you tomorrow for Day Two of the US Barista Championship Qualifying Event in Nashville!
Photos by Elizabeth Chai for Sprudge
We’re in the thick of it now. After learning the first half of the field for the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup in Sumner, Washington last month, we head now to Nashville to learn the remainder of the competitors as well as the first entrants for the Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and the Roasters Championships.
Over 200 coffee professionals will be taking one of the five stages at Track One in Nashville this weekend, all hoping to to earn their spots in the national round of their respective competitions. But before they move on, they have to get through the weekend. So let’s check out everyone who is competing at Day One of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Even in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Nashville Qualifying Event is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Barista Championship
11:40am Julius Delacruz, Lamplighter Coffee Roasters
11:51am Jason Yeo, Saint Frank Coffee
12:02pm Ben Stroup, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
12:13pm Kate Eichler, Free Press Coffee House
12:24pm Jinwoo Ahn, Cafe Grumpy
12:35pm Zedeeka Fulay, One Line Coffee
12:46pm Marsinah Hopkins, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
12:57pm Dana Walls, Sunergos Coffee
1:08pm Sam Leyba, Arrow Coffee Company
1:19pm Audrey Kim, La Colombe
1:30pm Rei Rosenquist, ChadLou’s Coffee Roasters
1:41pm Dom Rodriguez, Metric Coffee Co
1:52pm Nicole Leigh Henderson, Peregrine Espresso
2:03pm Sawyer Beckley, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
2:14pm Laura Ostendorff, Junto
2:48pm Heather McCullough, Novo Coffee
2:59pm Eli Cecil
3:10pm Fil Hernandez, Union Coffee Co
3:21pm Michelle Johnson, Red Bay Coffee
3:43pm Steph Caronna, North Carolina Museum of Art
3:54pm Elijah Wright, Hawaiian Village Coffee
4:05pm Angela Remlaoui, Portola Coffee Roasters
4:16pm Holly Griffith, Avoca Coffee Roasters
4:27pm Philip-Andrew Yuen, Honolulu Coffee
4:49pm Leah Ritsema, Madcap Coffee Company
5:00pm Tracy Jiang, Intelligentsia Coffee
5:11pm Chris Dennis, Klatch Coffee
5:22pm Jenna Gotthelf, Counter Culture Coffee
Brewers Cup
11:35am Max Martinelli, Ascendo Coffee
11:48am Grant Wunderlich, Madcap Coffee Company
12:01pm Alyssa Bell, Taproom Coffee
12:14pm Tyler Duncan, Topeca Coffee Roasters
12:27pm Marvin Duncan, East Pole Coffee Co
12:40pm Richie Arndorfer, Flatlands Coffee
12:53pm Carter Page, Portola Coffee Roasters
1:06pm Chris Porto, Boomtown Coffee
1:19pm Laura Marie Fucella, D Squared Java
1:57pm Munir Mohammed, Shortwave Coffee
2:10pm Weihong Zhang, BlendIn Coffee Club
2:23pm Ben Martin, Madcap Coffee Company
2:36pm Ben Willis, One Line Coffee
2:49pm Zach Stamey, Hex Coffee
3:02pm Austin C Bowers, Third Wave Coffee
3:15pm Dustin Thomas, Bongo Roasting Co
3:28pm Kristina Jackson
3:41pm Ben Phillips, Stumptown Coffee
3:54pm Brett Keller, La Colombe
4:07pm Ben Fitt, Outpost Coffee Kauai
4:20pm Chelsea Dubay, Joe Van Gogh
Coffee in Good Spirits
10:05am Joanna Lareau, Blue Bottle Coffee
10:20am Linnea True, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
10:35am Mo Koolphanich, Slipstream
10:50am Taylor Giroux, George Howell Coffee Company
11:05am Eric Perez, Stumptown Coffee
11:20am Cyrenthia Ngueya, Onyx Coffee Lab
11:35am Matt Foster, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
11:50am Mika Turbo
Cup Tasters
10:35am Heat One
Adrianne Burnap, InterAmerican Coffee
Matt Brosinski, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
Aaron Duckworth, Parisi Coffee
Alan Smith, Lamplighter Coffee Roasters
11:35am Heat Two
Samuel Demisse, Keffa Coffee
Jeff Mooney, Folly Coffee Roasters
Jon McCann, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Sarah Hise, Stovetop Roasters
12:35pm Heat Three
Mehmet Sogan, Memli Coffee Lab
Bear Solivan, Onyx Coffee Lab
Amit Manocha, CafeTracker
Julien Langevin, Bard Coffee
2:35pm Heat Four
Adam Holroyd, Contrast Coffee Company
Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Organics
Jonathan Stauf, Ascendo Coffee
Sylwia Padiasek, Brooklyn Roasting Company
3:35pm Heat Five
Kim Nguyen, Intelligentsia Coffee
Aaron Lerner, SkyTop Coffee
James May Lee
Harry Winkler, Saxby’s
4:35pm Heat Six
Max Martinelli, Ascendo Coffee
Danielle Pittner, Irving Farm
Munir Mohammed, Shortwave Coffee
Charles Lambert, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
5:35pm Heat Seven
Justin Lacher, Intelligentsia Coffee
Rob Bathe, Folly Coffee Roasters
Mike Miller, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Kyle Tabor, Blue Sail Coffee
Roasters Championship
10:00am Stephen Welch
10:06am Ben Young, Blue Sail Coffee
10:12am Jeremy Moore, Bonlife Coffee Roasters
10:18am Adam Holroyd, Contrast Coffee Company
11:00am Janine Melnick, Joe Bean Coffee Roasters
11:06am Kennth Thomas, Umble Coffee Co
11:12am Baylee Engberg, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
11:18am Hugh Morretta, La Colombe
12:00pm Jason Burkum, Archetype Coffee
12:06pm Kyle Hookstra, Westrock Coffee
12:12pm Tony Anderson, Three Story Coffee
12:18pm Michael Mann, The Roasted Record
2:00pm Chisum Ngai, Coffee Project NY
2:06pm Jillion P Potter, Coda Coffee
2:12pm Tony Vo, Waterbean Coffee
2:18pm Marty Langford, Seeds Coffee Co
3:00pm Aaron MacDougall, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
3:06pm Jess Harmon, Cultivate Coffee
3:12pm Grace McCutchan, Red Rooster Coffee Roaster
3:18pm Evan Inatome, Elixr Coffee
100 down, 100 to go. Day Two of the US Coffee Championships Qualifying Event will see the back nine of the schedule taking the stages for each of the five events: Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, and Roasters Championship. And after it is all said and done, we will know the entire field for the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup as well as the first halves for the remaining three, the remainder to be decided in Orange County later this year.
One bit of intrigue for the day’s events: the appearance of 2019 US Barista Champion Sam Spillman. Spillman is looking to be the first person to win back-to-back US Barista Championships since Michael Phillips in the 2009-10 seasons and the first multiple-time USBC champ since Pete Licata in 2011 and 2013 (both went on to win the World Barista Championship in their latter seasons). In fact, she is the first competitor since Phillips and Licata not named Cole McBride (who already earned his spot to nationals this year in the Sumner Qualifying Event) to even compete after winning the crown. After years of one-and-done champions, are we going to start seeing more folks come back to try to win World’s? We’ll find out next month in Orange County, but for now, let’s take a look at the competitors taking the stage at Day Two of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Nashville Qualifying Event is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Barista Championship
11:40am Ryan Moser, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
11:51am Anna Rozenberg, Rex Coffee
12:02pm Miranda Haney, Greater Goods Coffee
12:13pm James May Lee
12:24pm Kylan Reasoner, Sayso Coffee
12:35pm Emma Leibman, Peregrine Espresso
12:46pm Kyla Villamor, Honolulu Coffee
12:57pm Casey Wilson, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
1:08pm Maud Hasler, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
1:19pm Cydni Patterson, Cafe Driade
1:30pm Morgan Eckroth, Tried & True Coffee
1:41pm Paige Hicks, Trade and Lore Coffee
1:52pm Matthew Scott, Lemonjello’s Coffee
2:03pm Ali Abderrahman, La Reunion
2:48pm Avery Leith, Huckleberry Roasters
2:59pm Tyler Montague, Brew Coffee Bar
3:21pm Jordan Hershberger, Coat Check Coffee
3:32pm Kristi Persinger
3:43pm Morgan Mooney-Honeychurch, Revelator Coffee Company
3:54pm Grace Rathbone, Ada’s Discovery Cafe
4:05pm Jessica Messer, Red Rooster Coffee Roaster
4:16pm Sarah Hise, Stovetop Roasters
4:27pm Gisel Alvarez, Monarch Coffee
4:38pm Anthony Ragler, Black and White Coffee Roasters
4:49pm Sam Schaefer, Espy/Anthology
5:00pm Chelsea Kallman, Stay Golden Coffee Co
5:11pm Mama Mocha, Mama Mocha’s Coffee
5:22pm Sam Spillman, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Brewers Cup
11:35am Kyle Knight, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
11:48am Matthew Magnuson
12:01pm Ujae Lee
12:14pm Kathie Hilberg, Stumptown Coffee
12:27pm Daniel Gutierrez
12:40pm Hayden Nielander, Alchemy Coffee
12:53pm Joe Capatosto, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
1:06pm Will Buchanan, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters
1:19pm Philip Hatter, Vienna Coffee Company
1:57pm Mauricio Ruiz Giraldo, La Colombe
2:10pm Aaron Moxley
2:23pm Steve Kim, Third Wave Coffee
2:36pm Jesus Iniguez, Archetype Coffee
2:49pm Marina Chann, Honolulu Coffee
3:02pm Cody McGregor, ReAnimator Coffee
3:15pm Hektor Rojas
3:28pm Andres Morales, Coffee Project NY
3:41pm Elika Liftee, Onyx Coffee Lab
3:54pm Wade Preston, Prevail Coffee Roasters
4:07pm Jennifer Hwang, Klatch Coffee
4:20pm Joe Lacey, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Coffee in Good Spirits
10:05am Christina Lee, Brandywine Coffee Roasters
10:20am Beatriz Aguirre, Waterbean Coffee
10:35am Jalen Kelly, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co
10:50am Brandon Lucas
11:05am Dawn Shanks, Peregrine Espresso
11:20am MiMo, Sey Coffee
11:35am Dan Hilburn, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
11:50am Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee
Cup Tasters
10:35am Heat One
Helen Choi, Luce Avenue Coffee
Matthew Gleaves, Spyhouse Coffee Roasters
Tyler Wood, George Howell Coffee Company
11:35am Heat Two
Chelsea Thoumsin
Hyoung wuk (Luke) Jung, Ghost Roasters
Adam Walsh, JBC Coffee Roasters
Brendo Schack, Actual Coffee
12:35pm Heat Three
Summer Zhang, Onyx Coffee Lab
Jason Burkum, Archetype Coffee
Hiroki Kobayashi, 95 RPM Coffee Roasters
Malek Hudson, ReAnimator Coffee
2:35pm Heat Four
Michael W Burkarski, Salt City Coffee
Ian Bailey, Vivid Coffee
Joshua Nicholas, Keffa Coffee
Brandt Clawson, JBC Coffee Roasters
3:35pm Heat Five
Colin Frew, Metric Coffee Co
Sally Parlier, Counter Culture Coffee
Pryce Fischer, Prelude Coffee Roasters
Ben Willis, One Line Coffee
4:35pm Heat Six
Lindsay Rho, Idea Coffee
Jake Heenehan, Edison Coffee Co
Tom Eisenbraun, Bongo Java Roasting
Matthew Adams, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
Roasters Championship
10:00am Eric Stone, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters
10:06am Jonathan Stauf, Ascendo Coffee
10:12am Chris Molieri, Greenstreet Coffee Co
10:18am Christina Chin, Southdown Coffee
11:00am Matt McLaughlin, Starved Rock Coffee Company
11:06am Nathan Van Dusen, Brio Coffeeworks
11:12am Hunter Day, Twelve Gate Coffee Co
11:18am James Pearson, Little Amps Coffee Roasters
1:00pm Sawyer Beckley, Backyard Beans Coffee Company
1:06pm Aaron Lerner, SkyTop Coffee
1:12pm Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Organics
1:18pm Nick Scott, Parisi Coffee
2:00pm Gregg Roberson, Saxby’s
2:06pm Ross Bryant, Boxcar Coffee Roasters
2:12pm JR Harris
2:18pm Daniel Whitmore, Speckled Ax Wood Roasted Coffee
We now know the first half of the field for the national rounds of the US Barista Championship and Brewers Cup. After two days of coffee action at the Sumner, Washington Qualifying Event where a sum total of 70 coffee professionals graced the two competition stages, the field has been narrowed by over half, with 33 folks punching their tickets to Orange County.
18 Barista Championship competitors—including the top six who have earned byes into the Semi-Finals at USBC—and 15 Brewers Cup competitors—with the top three earning a bye—are moving on, and there are a lot of familiar names on the list. It’s not over yet, though. There’s still the Nashville Qualifying Event to fill out the other half of the bracket, to say nothing of the actual US Coffee Championships happening later on in February. But for now, let’s take a look at the competitors who made over the first big hurdle and have a full head of steam heading into the national round.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Sumner Qualifier is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Barista Championship
1. Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab
2. Sam Neely, Amethyst Coffee Company
3. Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
4. Austin Amento, Augie’s Coffee
5. Kay Cheon, Dune Coffee Roasters
6. Cole McBride, Ada’s Discovery
7. Hugo Cano, Amberson Coffee
8. Rodrigo Vargas, Elixr Coffee Roasters
9. Kae Bonaguro, Collective Espresso
10. David Castillo, Go Get Em Tiger
11. Reyna Callejo, Olympia Coffee
12. Meg Skop
13. Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
14. Nathan Ngo, Dune Coffee Roasters
15. Adam JacksonBey, Tell Coffee
16. Juan Diaz, Santo Coffee Co
17. Topher Ou, Little Collins
18. Elisabeth Johnson, Hagen Coffee Roasters
Brewers Cup
1. Paul Menefee, Archetype Coffee
2. Ken Selby, Blossom Coffee Roasters
3. John Kruegler, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co
4. Lance Hedrick, Onyx Coffee Lab
5. Tommy Kim, Balrog Coffee
6. Monica Sandoval, Augie’s Coffee
7. Aaron Stout, Oregon Coffee Board
8. Josh Modisette, Narrative Coffee
9. Mary Houston, Red Rooster Coffee
10. Demi Chacon
11. Jerry Ponzer, Messenger Coffee
12. Jeremy Ecklund, Dune Coffee Roasters
13. Caleb Lewis, Maiden Coffee
14. Jeremy Smith, Sons Coffee
15. Chris Culler, Dillanos Coffee Roasters
Congratulations to everyone moving on to the national round of the US Coffee Championships!
The 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Rounds came to a close on Sunday at Dillanos Coffee in Sumner, Washington. Half of the national field was decided this weekend at the first of the two Qualifying Events (the second happening next month in Nashville).
20 baristas competed on Day Two (included three from yesterday due to a technical mishap) and Sprudge was on deck to capture every single one with Lead Photographer Elizabeth Chai and roving social media reporter Joshua Littlefield. Take a glimpse at all of the competitors from Day Two here in Sumner.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Sumner Qualifier is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Nathan Ngo, Dune Coffee Roasters
Selina Gonzales, Greater Goods Coffee Roasters
Mario Febres, Double Dutch Espresso
Jared Gum, Royce Marie/Bar Francis
Joshua Agbayani, Verve Coffee Roasters
Rodrigo Vargas, Elixr Coffee Roasters
Meg Skop
Alex Sciarrotta, Narrative Coffee
Merlin Mendoza, Mostra Coffee
Topher Ou, Little Collins
David Castillo, Go Get Em Tiger
Madeline Mann, Oregon Coffee Board
Kay Cheon, Dune Coffee Roasters
Joe Yang, In J Cafe
Adam JacksonBey, Tell Coffee
Sam Neely, Amethyst Coffee Company
Reyna Callejo, Olympia Coffee
Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee
Juan Diaz, Santo Coffee Co
Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab
Check out the rankings from this weekend’s qualifiers here.
The 2020 US Coffee Championships Qualifying Rounds is off the terrific start here at Dillanos Coffee in Sumner, Washington. Half of the national field will be decided this weekend at the first of the two Qualifying Events (the second happening next month in Nashville).
20 baristas competed on Day One and Sprudge was on deck to capture every single one with Lead Photographer Elizabeth Chai and roving social media reporter Joshua Littlefield. Take a glimpse at all of the competitors from Day One here in Sumner.
Sprudge Media Network’s coverage of the 2020 US Coffee Championships Sumner Qualifier is presented by Cafe Imports, Acaia, IKAWA, Pacific Barista Series, Bellwether, and Baratza.
Adam Elabd, Huckleberry Roasters
Lucas Cassol, Batdorf and Bronson
Eve Wieser, Coffea Roasterie
Jake King, Brash Coffee
Kae Bonaguro, Collective Espresso
Mal Preheim, Dune Coffee Roasters
Logan Maltese, Victrola Coffee Roasters
Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement
Elisabeth Johnson, Hagen Coffee Roasters
Sam Han, Go Get Em Tiger
Angela Dunne, Summit Coffee Co
Sumner Ohye, Coffee Vloggers
Raechel Hurd
Niko Horaites, Coava Coffee
Zach Thanasilangkul, Barton Institute
Hugo Cano, Amberson Coffee
Austin Amento, Augie’s Coffee
Jeremy Pyrc
Cole McBride, Ada’s Discovery
William Card, Huckleberry Roasters
All photographs by Elizabeth Chai for Sprudge Live.