We’re in it now. After a season full of preliminary micro-regionals and two qualifying events, we’ve finally made it to the big enchilada, the US Coffee Championships. It’s going to be three days chockablock with coffee action going on five—count ’em five!—separate stages across the Kansas City Convention Center on the Missouri side of the border.
It’ll all play out over the next few days, but it all starts Friday, with Day One. Those who didn’t earn an automatic bye into the Semi-Finals via the Qualifying Events will have to earn their way on the stage. For now, though, let’s meet the coffee professionals competing today at the US Coffee Championships.
SprudgeLive’s coverage of the 2019 US Coffee Champs is made possible by Joe Glo and Mahlkönig. All of SprudgeLive’s 2019 competition coverage is made possible by Acaia, Baratza, Faema, Cafe Imports, and Wilbur Curtis.
Barista Championship
9:30am Ali Abderrahman, State Street Coffee/La Reunion, Dallas, TX
9:49am Elisabeth Johnson, Venture Coffee Co, Seattle, WA
10:08am Ben Vollmar, Flatlands Coffee, Bowling Green, OH
10:27am Kristi Persinger, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Los Angeles, CA
10:46am Austin Amento, Augie’s Coffee, Redlands, CA
11:05am Anthony Ragler, Counter Culture Coffee, Brooklyn, NY
11:24am Cris Mendoza, Saint Frank Coffee, San Francisco, CA
11:43am Morgan Eckroth, Tried & True Coffee Co, Corvallis, OR
12:12pm Milo DeGoosh, Bard Coffee, Portland, ME
12:31pm Reef Bessette, The Coffee Movement, San Francisco, CA
12:50pm Meg Skop, Equator Coffees & Teas, San Rafael, CA
1:09pm Raechel Hurd, Epoch Coffee, Austin, TX
1:28pm Ryan Wojton, Madcap Coffee Co, Grand Rapids, MI
1:47pm Douglas Park, Joyride, Boston, MA
2:06pm Rachel Diaz, Flatlands Coffee, Bowling Green, OH
2:25pm Kay Cheon, Dune Coffee Roasters, Santa Barbara, CA
2:53pm Juan Diaz, Black & White Coffee Roasters, Wake Forest, NC
3:12pm Cole McBride, Ada’s Discovery Cafe, Seattle, WA
3:31pm Sam Schaefer, Mockingbird Coffee, Ann Arbor, MI
3:50pm Gisel Alvarez, Monarch, Kansas City, MO
4:09pm Shane Hess, Jubala Coffee, Raleigh, NC
4:28pm Maxwell Mooney, Narrative Coffee, Everett, WA
4:47pm Hana Kaneshige, Counter Culture Coffee, Los Angeles, CA
5:06pm Matthew Barahura, Intelligentsia Coffee, San Diego, CA
5:25pm Joel Bigelow, Messenger Coffee, Kansas City, MO
Brewers Cup
9:00am Joshua Modisette, Narrative Coffee, Bellingham, WA
9:25am Skyler Richter, LAMILL, Los Angeles, CA
9:50am Nicholai Elkins, Switchback Coffee Roasters, Colorado Springs, CO
10:15am Felix Felix, Dune Coffee Roasters, Santa Barbara, CA
10:40am Cody Glen Barnhart, Vienna Coffee Co, Maryville, TN
11:05am Augustine Toscano, Windmill Coffee, Ames, IA
11:30am Avery Leith, Elixr Coffee Roasters, Philadelphia, PA
1:10pm John Kruegler, Blanchard’s Coffee Roasting Co, Richmond, VA
1:35pm Stephen White, Joe Coffee Co, New York, NY
2:00pm Rose Woodard, Independent, Action, MA
2:25pm Kelly Hill, Temple Coffee Roasters, Sacramento, CA
2:50pm Madeleine Longoria-Garcia, Independent, Holualoa, HI
3:15pm Ben Martin, Madcap Coffee Co, Grand Rapids, MI
3:40pm Tyler Ray Duncan, Topeca Coffee Roasters, Tulsa, OK
Coffee in Good Spirits
10:40am Leo-Charles Solerno, Greater Goods Coffee Roasters, Austin, TX
10:55am Kimhak Em, Peixoto Coffee Roasters, Chandler, AZ
11:10am Alexis King, Single Thread Farms/El Barrio, Ukiah, CA
11:25am Matt Foster, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co, St. Louis, MO
11:40am John Martin, LAMILL, Los Angeles, CA
11:55am Dakota Graff, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, AR
12:10pm Nathanael Mehrens, Stay Golden, Nashville, TN
12:25pm Michael Slomzenski, Huckleberry Roasters, Denver, CO
Cup Tasters
9:30am Heat 1
Joshua Edens, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, AR
Wee Jin Chiew, Sweet Bloom Coffee, Denver, CO
Evan Inatome, Elixr Coffee Roasters, Philadelphia, PA
Helen Choi, Luce Ave Coffee Roasters, Houston, TX
Samuel Demisse, Keffa Coffee Importers, Baltimore, MD
10:30am Heat 2
Cody McGregor, ReAnimator Coffee, Philadelphia, PA
Sarah Lambeth, Congregation Coffee Roasters, New Orleans, LA
Kienan Stubstad, O and A Coffee, St. Petersburg, FL
Jeff Mooney, Folly Coffee Roasters, Silver Lake, MN
Cameron Metzinger, Backyard Beans Coffee Co, Landsale, PA
11:30am Heat 3
Pia Barnett, Verve Coffee, Santa Cruz, CA
Roman Deshong, Amethyst Coffee Co, Denver, CO
Noah Goodman, Faema, Brooklyn, NY
Brandon Despain, Caffe Ibis, Logan, UT
Mike Miller, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Seattle, WA
1:30pm Heat 4
Bear Soliven, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, AR
Chloe O’Connor, Everyman Espresso, Brooklyn, NY
Scott MacBride, InterAmerican Coffee, San Diego, CA
Elisabeth Johnson, Venture Coffee Co, Seattle, WA
Hyoung Wuk (Luke) Jung, Loit Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
2:30pm Heat 5
Ken Selby, Vashon Coffee Co, Vashon Island, WA
Taylor Reed, Victrola Coffee, Seattle, WA
Andy Sprenger, Sweet Bloom Coffee, Denver, CO
Samuel Gurel, Sövda Coffee, Portland, OR
Austin Amento, Augie’s Coffee, Redlands, CA
There is no performance for the Roaster’s Championships. For a full roster of competitors and event times, check out the Roasters schedule here.