New York City. From Jay-Z to Fievel Mousekewitz, it has been a land of challenge, opportunity, and promise, a place where young men and women go to make a name, achieve their dreams, and conquer the world. Whether you’re stuck on the Columbia campus, scared to go below 34th Street, too hip to go above East 14th Street, or emotionally unable to leave Brooklyn all together, New York has more microclimates than a volcanic finca, and more (human) biodiversity than the wildest rainforest. 1/2 of Sprudge lived and worked there in the late 2000s, and got married there last summer; the other 1/2 of Sprudge has spent tons of time there in the last year, perhaps sleeping on your couch, likely ranting to you about egg creams before making you go to Gem Spa. You love New York, the world loves New York, but let there be no doubt in your mind: Sprudge loves New York.

So while any old day is the perfect time to visit, we’re especially excited to be flying to New York City this upcoming weekend, as we get ready to document the drama, intrigue, and wonder that is the 2012 Northeast Regional Barista Championship! Sprudge.com will be reporting to you live from the event, with coverage sponsored by the seriously fine folks at Dallis Bros. Coffee. Consider this post your unofficial portal to all of this weekend’s goings and doings from Manhattan!

First, stay abreast of the weekend and read up on the competitors via the official USBC NERBC listing. That’s where you can find .pdf versions of this weekend’s event schedule and competition schedules. We’ve also put together handy dandy quick reference schedules for the NERBC and for the Brewers Cup, which include people’s Twitter handles (so you know where to show your love).

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The event itself gets underway Saturday, February 25th, and is being held at 7W Event Studios (7 West 34th Street), in the heart of Manhattan. Round 1 kicks off at 8am Saturday, and is scheduled to run until 5:30 that evening, with announcements estimated at around 6pm. The Brewers Cup kicks off that day as well, beginning at 1pm and running until around 5pm. As always, Day 1 of the Brewers Cup is presented in a “silent auction” style, with formal presentations to follow on Day 2. As always, all of day 1 action will be streaming live thanks to the SCAA livestream linked here.

Saturday night there is an epic official megaparty at reBar (147 Front St, DUMBO, Brooklyn), sponsored by some of the very best coffee companies in New York, including Joe, Cafe Grumpy, Everyman Espresso, Ninth Street Espresso, Gimme! Coffee, Third Rail, and Dallis Bros. The event kicks off at 8pm an is easily accessible by taking the F train to York Street, or the A / C train to High Street. Here’s an easy subway map to guide you:


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Competition resumes at noon on Sunday, when the NERBC and Brewers Cup finalists square off for placement glory. Sprudge.com will be there all weekend, bringing you up-to-the-second coverage via Twitter, offering regular recaps throughout the day, and pumping out just as much video, photo, and .gif content as we can possibly muster.

We can’t wait to see you, New York City. What a dream.

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