One month ago, the Specialty Coffee Association announced that changes were in store for the 2018 US Coffee Championships. One of the more notable changes was the addition of the micro-regionals, a then-unknown number of sub-events to take place across the United States and feeding into the two Qualifying Events (that then lead to the National stage). We now know the number of events and where and when they will be held.
Announced on the US Coffee Championships website yesterday, the SCA announced a total of eight micro-regionals for the 2018 season. Host cities include: Rancho Cucamonga, CA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Denver, CO; Greenville, SC; Louisville, KY; Washington D.C.; and Tulsa, OK. And the events are happening soon. The first two events take place in Rancho Cucamonga and Seattle in little over a month, August 25th through 27th.
As noted in the original announcement of the addition of micro-regionals, the top eight Barista Competition and four Brewers Cup competitors from each event will be guaranteed entry into a Qualifying Event to take place at a later date, presumably some time in early 2018. Any additional spots at the Qualifying Event will be granted on a first-come first-serve basis.
More information is still forth coming on the events themselves; the announcement states host website information and links will be made available on August 1st.
To find out more about the changes and what they mean for competitors, check out our article from the original announcement.
Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
*all images via US Coffee Championships
