Lemuel Butler is your 2013 Southeast Regional Barista Competition champion! This is Mr. Butler’s astounding 4th win at the SERBC, further cementing his place as the winningest barista in SERBC history. Lem competed and won using Counter Culture Coffee’s Kenya Thiriku, a coffee he described as having a creamy body with notes of cranberries and black currant. Learn more about Kenya Thiriku hereand take some home.

Mr. Butler has a long history of inventive signature drinks with clever names – this year’s drink was called “The Illusionist”, and included pistachio cream, shots of Thiriku espresso, and a hibiscu tea with lemon zest that Mr. Butler steeped live on stage. The end result was a drink that yielded “hidden” chocolate and cranberry notes – an illusion that gave the drink its name.

Lem Butler’s winning score was 603 points – just a half point more than the second place finisher. Here’s the final order of SERBC finalists with their individual final scores:

1. Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee – 603 points
2. Colin Whitcomb, MADCAP Coffee Company – 602.5 points
3. Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee Roasters – 591 points
4. Trevor Corlett, MADCAP Coffee Company – 582 points
5. Camila Ramos, Panther Coffee – 579.5 points
6. Travis Beckett, Peregrine Espresso – 556.5 points

Michael Harwood will be taking home a Baratza Encore grinder. Colin Whitcomb will be taking home a Baratza Preciso grinder. Lemuel Butler will be taking home a Baratza Vario-W grinder, a one year subscription to Barista Magazine, will have flights and accomodations to the United States Barista Championship in Boston (furnished by DaVinci Gourmet), and will take a week-long trip to origin with Cafe Imports!

Congratulations to all of this year’s Southeast Regional Barista Competition finalists, competitors, and sponsor roasters!

Sprudge.com’s coverage from Atlanta is made possible by direct support from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters and Nuova Simonelli.

The post The Butler Did It! Lem Butler Is Your 2013 SERBC Champ appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Jonathan “Peaches” Bonchak is your 2013 SE Brewers Cup champion! Mr. Bonchak competed using a washed coffee from the Haru cooperative in southern Ethiopia, roasted by Counter Culture Coffee, for whom Mr. Bonchak works out of Durham headquarters. This coffee came from the same cooperative as the coffee Katie Carguilo used in her 2012 United States Barista Championship winning performance.

Mr. Bonchak’s brewing method called for a ratio of 25 grams of coffee to 300 grams of water, using one of Counter Culture’s own signature Bonmac one-hole ceramic dripper. Peaches told the judges that “to me, this coffee is the heart and soul of specialty coffee.”

Congratulations Mr. Bonchak! Peaches! Peaches! Peaches! We’ll see you in Boston.

Sprudge.com’s coverage from Atlanta is made possible by direct support from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters and Nuova Simonelli.

The post The Teaches of Peaches: Bonchak Wins SE Brewers Cup appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Welcome to our recap of Round One at the 2013 Southeast Regional Barista Competition! 16 of the best baristas in the American Southeast went head to head in heated battle over the course of two (relatively) short days. Sprudge.com is honored to be here in Atlanta, covering the event live as your Official Digital Media Sponsors. Our coverage from Atlanta is made possible by direct support from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters, Nuova Simonelli, and viewers like you.

What follows is the very best of our live, unadulterated Twitter coverage from throughout Round One at the SERBC. You can stay abreast with our Twitter coverage throughout the 2013 USBC cycle by following us @SprudgeLive on Twitter.

Travis Beckett, Peregrine Espresso, DC

1. Travis Beckett, Peregrine Espresso, DC – @TravisBeckett

11:05 we kick of the event with @TravisBeckett ,who made a run all the way into the top 6 at last year’s USBC finals in Portland, placing 6th overall nationally

11:24 Travis competes using a blend of two coffees from Counter Culture Coffee: 65% Guatemala Concepcion Huista and 35% Ethiopian heirloom Idido

11:30 Mr. Beckett has that same controlled calm demeanor that took him to USBC finals last year – very subtle service and focus

11:31 “this coffee immediately lets you know it started its life as a piece of fruit” – @TravisBeckett on Counter Culture’s natural Ethiopia Idido

11:33 Mr. Beckett’s signature drink is inspired by classic american soda fountains – “i think those soda jerks were on to something”

11:38 he calls time 15:26 – subtle, nuanced opening routine here at #SERBC – big cheering section here for travis.

John Fogleman, Octane Coffee, ATL

2. 11:34 John Fogleman, Octane Coffee, ATL – @JohnFogleman

11:40 up next at #SERBC is the first of 3 competitors from atlanta’s own @octanecoffee – it’s @JohnFogleman and he’s up live right…now!

11:43 mr. fogleman competes using a single origin espresso from @Octanecoffee – their Nicaragua Finca La Tormenta

11:44 notes of nuts, muscovado sugar, apple acidity, lemongrass, and a “round, tomatoey body” in his espresso

11:53 describing his capp course: “the lactic acidity sort of takes that high frequency away from the espresso”

11:57 mr. fogleman’s sig drink: muscovado sugar, black cherry maceration, and macadamia nut oil – “a nice viscosity” – serve in a brandy glass with espresso floated on top

Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee, Durham NC

3. Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee, Durham NC – @SexyFoam

12:03 lem butler is one of the most experienced, charismatic, seasoned competitors in competition coffee – more than a routine, his 15 minutes are like clinics

12:09 mr. butler serves @Counter_Culture Kenya Thiriku here at #SERBC - learn more here and take some home.

12:13 mr. butler’s sig drink: pistachio cream, 8 shots of thiriku – a “mysterious chocolate note” – plus sweet hibiscus tea with lemon zest

12:18 nice creamy body, a little bit savory, cranberry notes and black currant – Lem on his @Counter_Culture Kenya Thiriku espresso

12:20 lem butler has his espressos down, thanks the judges, and calls time at 14:58 – a pro!

Michael Harwood signature drink realness.

4. 12:12 Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee Roasters, Carrborro NC – @BlueBarista

12:28 michael starts off with a breakdown of why “bitter” flavor notes get a bad name – “even our language is working against us”

12:30 “cappuccinos are a beautifully accessible solution to your bitter-sensitive customers”

12:33 he’s dropping deep knowledge on chlorogenic acids – CGA’s – “coffee contains more CGA’s than any other plant”

12:37 Mr. Harwood on his Colombia caturra espresso – “porridge, honey pastry body – cherry and lemon acidity”

12:40 Mr. Harwood’s sig drink: Colombia espresso, centennial hops, same coffee freshly brewed on a Kalita Wave, plus nitrogen carbonation

Kyle Ramage, Jubala Village Coffee, Raleigh NC

5. Kyle Ramage, Jubala Village Coffee, Raleigh NC – @Kyle_Rampage

12:52  @Kyle_Rampage competes using @AidaBattle Finca Mauritania “Ethiopian process” from Santa Ana, El Salvador

12:59 scared money don’t make money – Mr. Ramage seems pretty fearless up there. first time we’ve seen him compete, and he’s been great

1:05 his sig drink is a take on the americano cocktail – shots of @AidaBattle espresso, carbonated cascara w/ yuzu, orange blossom honey

1:06 Mr. Ramage calls time at 15:55, just escaping a disqualification at 16 minutes – that sig drink looks absolutely delicious

Camila Ramos, Panther Coffee, Miami

6. Camila Ramos, Panther Coffee, Miami – @Milamos

1:15 Camila competes using @PantherCoffee‘s Colombia Finca El Ventilador, a red & yellow caturra from Huila

1:23 just a wildly creative sig drink from @Milamos – bergamot oil, konbu dashi, cascara, rice vinegar, skimmed espresso, served neat

1:24 before her capp course, Ms. Ramos has judges smell dried coffee flowers – “this scent is what your cappuccino is going to taste like’

1:27 Coffee flowers smuggled back from Colombia by @Milamos and dried in her hotel bible! the gang at @PantherCoffee with the exclusive deets

1:29 Ms. Ramos calls time at 14:57 – boy gee whiz i sure hope that maybe we’ll get to see that one again at some point (highly likely)

Daniel Mueller, Octane Coffee, ATL

7. Daniel Mueller, Octane Coffee, ATL – @Simple_Algebra

1:49 “of all the molecular gastronomy i’ve done, i’ve never found one cooler than the espresso making process itself”

1:51 marzipan, almond candy, “an almond filled croissant perhaps” – @Simple_Algebra on his cappuccino course

1:57 craft cocktail influenced sig drink – Mr. Mueller has the pro bartender shake DOWN, y’all.

Michael Duffey, 1000 Faces Coffee, Athens, GA

8. Michael Duffey, 1000 Faces Coffee, Athens, GA – @1000Faces

2:04 brazil, guatemala, and ethiopian coffees in michael duffey’s #SERBC espresso, roasted by @TwoStoryCoffee

2:16 sig drink: apricot, apple, and pear puree, shots pulled on top, with dark chocolate to “accentuate the guatemalan”

2:20 a scrappy, hard-fought performance from @mcduffey86 of @1000faces serving @TwoStoryCoffee – he’s unfortunately DQ’d on time

Trevor Corlett, MadCap Coffee Company, DC

9. Trevor Corlett, MadCap Coffee Company, DC – @Tjorlet

11:23 mr. corlett structures his 15 minutes on stage like he’s courting the judges – cappuccinos are “a first double date”

11:28 “maybe on our next date, we’ll hold hands while bungee jumping” – pretty much the best sig drink analogy ever from @Tjorlet

11:31 trevor’s sig drink: grapefruit reduction, dark sugar, ginger, egg whites – healthy bartender shake with espresso

11:32 mr. corlett competes using MADCAP Coffee’s Jose Luis Reinoso, from Colombia’s Tolima region – “golden raisin and grapefruit juice”

11:36 trevor calls time at 15:20 – check out the coffee he competed here, from producer Luis Reinoso

Dan Pabst, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Charlottesville, VA

10. Dan Pabst, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Charlottesville, VA – @DrinkMud

11:39 mr. pabst competes with 100% honduras coffee – 70% from a single farm, 30% from a cooperative

11:40 mr. pbast starts judges off by slicing up a pink lady apple – “this comes from my neighbor’s farm -please enjoy this amuse bouche”

11:45 mr. pabst’s 100% honduran coffee cappuccino – “maple butter with a graham cracker finish”

11:48 Mr. Pabst moves on to his sig drink: drinking chocolate, washed latin american espresso from honduras, and whipped cream. simple.

11:55 this is mr. pabst’s 4th time competing at the #SERBC – this was his top routine of the times we’ve seen him.

Keelan Lyons, Octane Coffee, ATL

11. Keelan Lyons, Octane Coffee, ATL – @KeelanDru

12:02 we’ve never seen @KeelanDru compete before – he’s a first-time competitor – jogging in place through the end of his prep time…

12:22 shaky hands, shaky hands, but no visible spills from @KeelanDru -as @Miss_JAlexander says, “weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.”

12:25 mr. lyons’ sig drink: pomegranate molasses, with ginger, clove, all spice and cinnamon, mixed with club soda and Guatemalan espresso

12:26 mr. lyons competes using a Guatemalan Huehuetenango Finca el Carmen espresso roasted by @Octanecoffee

12:30 mr. lyons calls time at 15:10, met with a roar in the crowd – strong first routine from keelan, would like to see it again

Matthew Bryce, Peregrine Espresso, DC

12. Matthew Bryce, Peregrine Espresso, DC – @Matt_Bryce

12:40 “i am gonna get my shaky self over to this espresso machine and pull your shots”

12:42 Mr. Bryce competes using a 65% Guatemala Concepcion Huista, 35% Idido Ethiopian sun dried, roasted by @Counter_Culture

12:48 this is such a relaxed, mellow routine – lots of touch and economy of motion – subtle, clean, easy-but-not

12:50  @Matt_Bryce calls time at 14:20 – quoth @BenHelfen in the post-routine interview, “Dude, you crushed it.” impressive! @PeregrineDC #SERBC

Colin Whitcomb, MadCap Coffee Company, DC

13. Colin Whitcomb, MadCap Coffee Company, DC – @ColinWhitcomb

1:08 @ColinWhitcomb competes using @MADCAPcoffee Costa Rica Santa Lucia – learn more and bring some home here.

1:12 @ColinWhitcomb is smoking banana extract live on stage, and the whole room smells like the banana section at an ATL Piggly Wiggly

1:16 xanthan gum and banana oil coagulate, foamed up and bubblin’, used to top a shot of @ColinWhitcomb‘s Costa Rica Santa Lucia espresso

1:17 colin calls time at 15:02 – that’s a BIG routine from @ColinWhitcomb and @MADCAPcoffee – MC @BenHelfen is agog: “wow, man, i mean wow”

George Zaras’s Beautiful Head of Hair, The Java Shack, Arlington, VA

14. George Zaras, The Java Shack, Arlington, VA – @JavaShack

1:32 mr. zaras is a first-time competitor. his shop @JavaShack is “the Cheers Coffeehouse” of Arlington, according to Java Shack’s website.

1:38 Mr. Zaras’ routine was a tribute to @DrinkBlanchards‘ Burundi Kayanza cooperative roast

1:40 mr. zaras has all of his drinks down at 14:05 – time to chat and thank the judges – “i’m just very appreciative”

15. Selena Hilton-Aragon, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Charlottesville VA -@SelenaHA

1:55 “good afternoon judges…I apologize for how cramped you are at that table.”

1:57 “red apple, maple butter, a little bit of plum…milk chocolate notes” – @SelenaHA on her Mudhouse Coffee Honduras espresso blend

2:00 “When you’re drinking this cappuccino, i want you to imagine a crisp fall day…pick out the maple flavors”

2:06  Ms. Hilston-Aragon’s sig drink: mulling spice pudding, with a bruleed burnt sugar top, presented with mulling spices on the side for aromatics.

2:08 Mudhouse Coffee just very recently started roasting their own coffee for retail – exciting that #SERBC is part of that process for them.

16. Daniel Moore, Jubala Village Coffee, Raleigh, NC – @DanielHadwynn

2:20 for espressos @DanielHadwynn serves @Counter_Culture kenya thiriku – “lime, caramel, nice and round and juicy”

2:21 learn about @DanielHadwynn‘s  Kenya Thiriku espresso from @Counter_Culture & order some for yourself. you do you.

2:26 side note: @DanielHadwynn plays in a pretty popular band down there in Raleigh, called Hadwynn

The post SERBC 2013: Barista Competition Round One Recap appeared first on Sprudge.com.

These 6 bold brewers will compete in the SERBC Brewers Cup Finals. Here’s your complete schedule for tomorrow – follow @SprudgeLive on Twitter for our best-in-the-business live coverage of the SERBC Brewers Cup finals! Accept no imitations!

6 COMPETITORS BEGINNING AT 10:30AM EST:

1. 10:30 Judith Mandel, Peregrine Espresso, DC – @jmandelDC

2. 11:00 Ryan Hall, Panther Coffee, Miami - @PantherCoffee

3. 11:30 Andrew Cash, Jubala Village Coffee, Raleigh, NC – @JubalaCoffee

4. 12:00 Jonathan Bonchak, Counter Culture Coffee, Raleigh, NC – @JonathanBonchak

5. 12:30 Wade Preston, Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters, ATL – @WadePreston

6. 1:00 Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee Roasters, Carrboro, NC – @BlueBarista

(Not pictured: Wade Preston and Andrew Cash)

Sprudge.com’s coverage from Atlanta is made possible by direct support from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters and Nuova Simonelli.

Sprudge.com is the official digital media sponsor of the 2013 United States Barista Competition cycle, as selected by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

The post SERBC 2013: Your 6 Brewers Cup Finalists + Schedule appeared first on Sprudge.com.

This six brassy baristas will compete in tomorrow’s Southeast Regional Barista Competition finals! Here’s your complete schedule for tomorrow – follow @SprudgeLive on Twitter for our best-in-the-business live coverage of the SERBC finals!

COMPETITION BEGINS AT 10:45 AM EST:

1. 10:45 Colin Whitcomb, MadCap Coffee Company, DC – @ColinWhitcomb

2. 11:07 Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee, Durham NC – @SexyFoam

3. 11:27 Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee Roasters, Carrborro NC – @BlueBarista

4. 11:47 Trevor Corlett, MadCap Coffee Company, DC – @Tjorlet

5. 12:07 Camila Ramos, Panther Coffee, Miami – @Milamos

6. 12:27 Travis Beckett, Peregrine Espresso, DC – @TravisBeckett

Sprudge.com’s coverage from Atlanta is made possible by direct support from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters and Nuova Simonelli. Sprudge.com is the official digital media sponsor of the 2013 United States Barista Competition cycle, as selected by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

The post SERBC 2013: Your 6 Barista Comp Finalists + Schedule appeared first on Sprudge.com.

The (Incomplete) Unimportance Of Brew Methods: Earlier this week we highlighted a post by John Martin of Intelligentsia called “The Unimportance Of Brew Methods”, and it’s resulted in quite a bit of thoughtful, interesting discussion. Martin argues that all brew methods can yield the same extraction and encourages baristas and customers alike to stop focusing so much on methodology. Everyman Espresso’s Sam Lewontin responds, adding that an overemphasis on methodology by the barista leads to service that can seem unpleasantly didactic and condescending to the customer. Both Martin and Lewontin agree that what matters most is what’s in the cup. We highly recommend you read the full posts and check out the discussion on Sprudge’s comments section — it’s interesting stuff!

Craft Coffee’s Kickstarter Fully Funded: We were happy to see that the monthly coffee subscription service Craft Coffee has reached its Kickstarter goal. These folks feature coffee from some of the best microroasters in North America, blind-taste test all of them, and deliver them to your door. We love what these guys do and look forward to seeing them continue to grow. Click here to sign up.

Let’s Talk Let’s Talk Coffee Recaps: The Let’s Talk Coffee conference in Colombia last weekend was a fantastic, informative, and eye-opening event, attended by producers, importers, finance experts, WalMart marketing staff, Colombian politicians, Sustainable Harvest staff, and assorted roasters from 28 countries on 6 continents. It has completely enhanced our perspective of the coffee world, and we had a blast hosting our late-night talk show (aka our panel interview featuring a handful of specialty coffee experts). Video footage and continued recap coverage from the event will be coming your way soon, and until then, take a peek at the video introductions we put together for our guests.

Divine Providence!: Your tireless Sprudge editors have very little semblance of a work/life balance, and as such they are currently in Providence, RI hosting not one but two panels at the Mid-Atlantic / Northeast Coffee Conference (MANE). The panel topics are “How Did I Get Here?” and “Retail Therapy,” and will involve candid and insightful discussions with a bunch of industry notables/geniuses (click here for the full list of speakers). Check by for tweets, photos, and recaps all weekend long on Sprudge.com! And then they get to go home. For 8 whole days!

Reading Rainbrew: Blue Bottle Coffee’s much-anticipated book, “The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee,” is now available! You can catch James Freeman and company on their book tour in NYC.

SERBC Dates Leaked: It’s officially unofficial! The Southeast Regional Barista Competition, the second event in the 2013 USBC regionals, will be held in Atlanta, Georgia starting Friday, November 30. Regional competitions for the US Cup Tasters championship and the US Brewers Cup are happening the same weekend, and word on the street’s that Batdorf and Bronson, the event host, will throw a massive party Friday night at their new Ponce City Market Dancing Goats coffee bar. Sprudge will be there to keep you updated, and we can hardly wait! Atlanta is really an amazing city and the folks in that community are real sweet. Here’s some of our video coverage from last year’s SERBC just to whet your whistle:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The post Unpaid Intern: Weekly Weekend Week In Review for 10/13/12 appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Breaking here exclusively on Sprudge.com, we’ve got the official unofficial dates and info for the second event in the 2013 United States Barista Championship regional event schedule.

The Southeast Regional Barista Competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia starting Friday, November 30th; finals will be held on Sunday, December 2nd; and the whole thing is being hosted by Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters, at an event space in the newly opened Ponce City Market project in Atlanta.

SERBC will happen in conjunction with Southeast Regional competitions for the US Cup Tasters championship and the US Brewers Cup, both of which will kick off on Friday, November 30th. A high-up source at Batdorf has confirmed with us that they’ll be throwing a massive party on Friday night at their brand new Ponce City Market Dancing Goats coffee bar. Sprudge.com will be in attendance to live-tweet and recap every last competitor in the 2013 RBC competition cycle, and also to hang out in Atlanta, which is truly one of our favorite cities.

Official announcement for this event should be along shortly, but we just couldn’t wait to leak it to you…

In the meantime, relive our rip-roaring SERBC 2012 coverage (sponsored by Wilbur Curtis Co.) by clicking through the goodness here. And check out some of our video coverage from the SERBC below:

For more videos from last year’s regionals, spend some time with our endlessly weird YouTube channel.

The post Southeast Regional Barista Competition Dates Leaked appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Over the course of 6 weeks in the beginning of 2012, Sprudge.com had the opportunity to attend all 6 of the regional competitions in this year’s United States Barista Competition cycle. The result is a body of work that we hope does justice to the professionalism and dedication of the competitors, more than 200 in total. This work would not have been possible without the independent sponsorship of several companies, including Wilbur Curtis Co., Dallis Bros. Coffee, Verve Coffee Roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia, and Alterra Coffee. In addition, our coverage was facilitated by virtue of the unfettered access and support supplied by the staff of the SCAA. It was a joy and a privilege to attend and cover these events as your Unofficial Media Sponsors.

This post is a clearinghouse for coverage from all 6 regions, spaced out across 5 separate weekend events in Tacoma, New York City, Atlanta, Santa Cruz, and Chicago. We’re proud to offer you this archive for the 2012 USBC regional cycle, because we sincerely believe that this is the kind of coverage these events deserve.

2012 Northwest Regional Barista Competition, January 27th-29th in Tacoma, Washington

Northwest Regional Barista (and Brewers Cup) Champion: Devin Chapman, Coava Coffee Roasters, PDX

Competition season kicked off on a high note in dreary, gloomy, beautiful Tacoma, Washington. This city has a special place in our hearts; both your Sprudge.com editors grew up here, so we love it and hate it with equal fervor. It was absolutely the right place to kick off this year’s competition cycle. Here’s a full list of all 20 competitors, and another list of the 16 Brewers Cup entrants.

We put together full recaps of all three days, and here they are: Day 1 (note the Boni & Willbur pic in the slideshow), Day 2 (check the Jen Prince video), and Finals Sunday (Neil Oney’s crotch). Here’s a complete schedule for all 6 Brewers Cup and Barista Competition finalists, along with a video shot Sunday morning detailing the agony and ecstasy of Finals prep.

In the end, Coava’s Devin Chapman won both the Brewers Cup and the Barista Competition, with second place going to Laila Ghambari (Stumptown) and third to Tyler Stevens (Barista). Read the full results from Finals Sunday, then click here for an exit interview with Mr. Chapman. Last but not least, treat your brain cells to this curated selection of Tacoma rap music from Sprudge.com’s Rap Anthem Curator (and Tacoma native), Michael Gardiner.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

2012 Southeast Regional Barista Competition, February 10th-11th in Atlanta, Georgia

2012 Southeast Regional Barista Champion: Lindsey Kiser, Peregrine Espresso, Washington DC

2012 Southeast Regional Brewers Cup Champion: Matt Ludwikowski, Octane Coffee, Atlanta, GA

Sprudge.com coverage sponsored by Wilbur Curtis Co., access provided by the SCAA.

A week and a half later, and we’re flying cross-country to Atlanta, with a 9 (!) hour drunken layover in Denver. The less you know about Atlanta, the less you know how cool it is. This was our first sponsored travel event, and in some ways, it set a template for the work to come. We can’t thank the Wilbur Curtis Co. team enough for stepping up to make our coverage possible, and a shout-out is definitely due to the folks at Counter Culture Coffee and Batdorf and Bronson, for putting on an awesome event and taking us under their wings for the weekend.

Here’s a list of all 28 competitors at the SERBC, along with all 13 entrants in the SE Brewers Cup. This competition packed a serious amount of action into like 36 hours, with competition taking place over just two days. Check out our Day 1 Part 1 recap (the Lem Butler video towards the bottom is a Sprudge staff favorite), then peruse the scene from Day 1 Part 2 (tech judge double squat .gif). This link takes you to a full list of all 6 Barista Competition and Brewers Cup finalists, and you can peruse our Youtube channel for video of the SERBC Finalists, a lovely Q&A with several competitors, plus a sit-and-chat with Sprudge favorite Camilla Ramos (of Miami’s Panther Coffee) and this in-depth down and nerdy convo with Ryan Jenson, owner of DC’s Peregrine Espresso.

Speaking of Peregrine, the barista du jour at SERBC was Lindsey Kiser, who placed first in a tough field of barista competitors. You can check out an exit interview with Ms. Kiser by clicking this link, which includes the very instant she was announced the SERBC winner. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s own Matt Ludwikoski (of Octane Coffee) won the Brewers Cup. We recapped the Finals Saturday hullabaloo here as best we could, before retiring to Jordan’s brother’s house for much-needed wine, BBQ, and play-time with Jordan’s baby niece.

There was another 3 1/2 hour layover in the Denver airport on our way back home.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

2012 Northeast Regional Barista Competition, February 25th-26th in New York City, New York.

2012 Northeast Regional Barista Champion: Katie Carguilo, Counter Culture Coffee, NYC

2012 Northeast Regional Brewers Cup Champion: Jordan Barber, Third Rail Coffee, NYC

Sprudge.com event coverage sponsored by Dallis Bros. Coffee, access provided by the SCAA.

Off to New York City for the NERBC, where Dallis Bros. Coffee played host to 28 barista competitors and no fewer than 18 Brewers Cup entrants. This one was another 2-day blitzkrieg, housed on the 11th floor of a Midtown skyscraper and presented in conjunction with the 7th Annual Coffee and Tea Festival NYC. We liveblogged this one, doing our best to both tweet and update the site throughout the day. Here’s our Day 1 Part 1 coverage, followed closely by our Day 1 Part 2 coverage (note the Justin Schulz head-noddage).

This link takes you to a list of all 6 Brewers Cup and Barista Competition finalists, which you can pair with video of all 6 barista finalists, as well as not one, but two interviews with NERBC champ Katie Carguilo – interview one (not into scales), and interview 2 (def into thanking people, guinea pigs). Katie sure did win that weekend, followed in 2nd by Jordan Barber (then of Third Rail, now of Intelligentsia), then Park Brannen, of Handsome Coffee Roasters. Mr. Barber also placed 1st at the NE Brewers Cup, using a Kenya Kieni coffee roasted by Denmark’s Coffee Collective. We wrote a little essay about each of the Barista Competition finalists, which you can peruse right here.

We really put out a lot of video content that weekend! Check out this fun interview with Sam Penix, owner of Everyman Espresso, then enjoy a little coffee talk with Brewers Cup finalist Tamara Vigil, of Irving Farm Coffee Company. Meanwhile, Handsome Coffee Roaster’s Park Brannen and Mike Phillips snuggle up before our unflinching lens, while John Moore breaks down the Chemex station offered by event hosts Dallis Bros. Coffee.  Our only big mistake was making a “Daria” joke (see #1) out of Pavement Coffee competitor Daria Whalen‘s name, because it’s pronounced “Dare-ee-uh”, and we were wrong to kid.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

2012 Southwest Regional Barista Competition, March 9th-11th in Santa Cruz, California

2012 Southwest Regional Barista Champion: Jared Truby, Verve Coffee Roasters, Santa Cruz, CA

2012 Southwest Regional Brewers Cup Champion: John Martin, Intelligentsia Coffee, Pasadena, CA

Sprudge coverage sponsored by Verve Coffee Roasters, access provided by the SCAA.

Egads, there were 40 barista competitors at the SWRBC! Here’s the full lists – Day One as well as Day Two. In addition to that, some 20 people competed in the Brewers Cup, making the SWRBC by far the largest regional event in this year’s competition cycle. There’s curated tweets, pics, and .gifs in our daily recaps: check here for Day 1 (lots of photography) and click here for Day 2 (the Charles Babinski .gif is a another staff favorite).

Here’s a list of the 2012 SWRBC finalists, along with video interviews of all 6: Kevin “Tex” Bohlin (Ritual Coffee Roasters), Charles Babinski (Intelligentsia), Lizzy Sampson (Verve Coffee Roasters), Alfonso Portela (Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters), Percy Ramirez (Intelligentsia), and Jared Truby (Verve Coffee Roasters). The SWRBC was such a wonderful way for Verve Coffee Roasters to open their community up to outside visitors, and so it felt kind of inevitable and natural for them to take home the win, like something out of a Hollywood sports script. Hometown hero Jared Truby won in the Barsita Competiton, while Intelligentsia’s John Martin capture the SW Brewers Cup. Check out this exit interview with Mr. Truby, read a series of essays we wrote for each finalist, then learn more about all the SW Brewers Cup finalists, including coffees and methods used by all six.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

2012 Big Central Regional Barista Competition, March 3rd-5th in Chicago, Illinois

2012 North Central Barista Champion: Ryan Knapp, MadCap Coffee Roasters

2012 North Central Brewers Cup Champion: Jon Ferguson, Independent, Lincoln, Nebraska

2012 South Central Barista Champion: Lorenzo Perkins, Cuvee Coffee Roasters, Spicewood, TX

2012 South Central Brewers Cup Champion: Mike Marquard, Half & Half, St. Louis, MI

Sprudge coverage sponsored by Counter Culture Coffee, Intelligentsia, and Alterra, access provided by the SCAA.

Two regionals, one weekend. This one felt like the toughest Koopa you have to fight before it’s time to battle Bowser. There were 20 competitors from the North Central and another 13 from the South Central, both yielding 6 distinct sets of finalists. Prelims were broken into two days – Day 1 and Day 2 – matched with a full slate of 28 Brewers Cup entrants. 

We somehow managed to cover it all, barely, and here’s proof: Day One recap in tweets and pics and Day Two with lots of photography. Here’s a listing of all 12 finalists for both regions, along with the 11 Brewers Cup finalists. There’s tons of video from that weekend, so check out these interviews with finalists Courtney Marie Vaquera (MadCap), Stacey Wieck (MadCap), Jacque DesMarais (Kaldi’s Coffee), Caitlin Corcoran (Parisi Brothers), and Charlie Habegger (Intelligentsia).

Finals Sunday was madness, a scene we attempted to capture in words and photos here. MadCap Coffee Company’s roaster and co-owner Ryan Knapp won the North Central for the second year in a row, while Cuvee Coffee’s Lorenzo Perkins took home first in the South Central; we’ve got these video exit interviews with Mr. Perkins and Mr. Knapp. On the Brewers Cup front, Mike Marquard won for the South Central, while independent competitor Jon Ferguson was crowned victor for the North Central.

That’s it. That’s all of it. Use this as an archive, and rest assured this information will always be here. Congratulations to all the competitors, and thank you to all of our sponsors.

The post A Complete Look Back At The 2012 USBC Regionals appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Finally, we are immensely grateful to the tireless and inspiring work of everyone at the SCAA and BGA, especially Amber Sather, Maria Hill, Julie Housh, Dan Streetman, Michael Harwood, and Sprudgie Award winner Marcus Boni.

The outpouring of support, kind words, emails and tweets thanking us for our regional barista event coverage just means the world to us. None of our work would be possible without the people and companies thanked above – we do this because of you.

10:55 and we’re back! live-tweeting the #serbc finals from windy, frigid atlanta georgia – follow us all day @sprudge

11:03 @jasondominy – “i would like to go ahead and get this party started. go ahead and hit that timer.” #brewerscup #domination

11:09 @jasondominy drops clever at 2.5 minutes, with a 1.5 minute draw time – he’s stirring for 10 seconds during draw down

11:12 @jasondominy handles his biz, thanks the southern barista community, hits on his wife, and calls “time”

11:16 first #serbc of the day: lindsey kiser of @peregrinedc – her setup includes a simple black tablecloth & a pink cotton candy maker

11:23 lindsey serves @counter_culture PNG baroida – talks the judges through cultivar distinction, washing, drying, and shipping…

11:24 lindsey of @peregrinedc – her routine’s conceit: coffee as personhood, trials by fire, we’re made who we are by our experiences #fascinating

11:28 lindsey @peregrinedc chose a 3 day off-roast baroida PNG from @counter_culture – “vibrancy” being the key word.

11:30 lindsey @peregrinedc capp set down, water refilled, cruising into sig drinks with 9:30 left: “nature AND nurture…so it is with coffee

11:32 lindsey pulls a shot of baroida over coconut milk infused with passionfruit – then handmade ginger floss on stage – mmmmm ginger floss

11:34 lindsey kiser of @peregrinedc calls time at 14:54 – that is a very, very high bar to set for today at the #serbc

11:42 @davedelchamps – using v60 filter, because, “who doesn’t like a paper filter? it gives you a nice, clean taste” #brewerscup

11:46 @davedelchamp serves@octanecoffee salvadoran coffee grown at a high elevation with volcanic terroir – served in diner mug

11:47 “that does it for me, feel free to enjoy the neil young that’s playing right now – have a great weekend” @davedelchamps

11:52 this is trevor corlett’s 12th barista competition performance @madcap

12:00 trevor competes using the @madcapcoffee third coast blend – currently 50/50 fazenda rainha from brazil and san sebastian colombia

12:04 trevor @madcap on his espresso: “first sip is tart bitterness, second sip is acidity cherry, final sip is sweet baker’s chocolate”

12:11 trevor corlett calls time at 15 – steadier presentation today, seemed a little more comfortable verbally. awesome routine

12:17 @jonathanbonchak (“peaches”) of @counter_culture up now – brewing ethiopia haru, a classic washed yirgacheffe coffee

12:22 @jonathanbonchak competes with the bonmac brewer – #bonchakforbonmac – competing with @counter_culture’s GFA winning coffee #brewerscup

12:35 @bluebarista is the SE representative of the @baristaguild – rocking his BGA pin on-stage at #serbc

12:51 michael harwood @bluebarista calls time at 14:59 #serbc #pro

12:52 @mattlud was a late addition to the #brewerscup schedule – his comp coffee was roasted by fellow #brewerscup competitor @davedelchamps

12:56 @mattlud competes at #brewerscup using the classic chemex with paper filter #leathertassles

12:58 a very radiohead-forward #brewerscup performance from @mattlud

1:00 his chemex coffee served in a brandy snifter @mattlud – go big on the chemex, or go home on the marta

1:12 @dustincolemmm starts with his cappuccinos – his is one of the more customer service focused routines seen this year

1:15 citrus, stone fruit acidity, apricot, caramel bottom tones, buttery, clean finish – @dustincolemmm on his espresso

1:21 @dustincolemmm last minute of his routine…love the vintage ice bucket. “no special instructions, just drink it down and enjoy it.”

1:22 @dustincolemmm calls time at 15 flat – big cheer in the room at #serbc

1:25 up now at the #brewerscup, by far our favorite twitter handle of the weekend @dugganasaurus bryan duggan of @counter_culture durham

1:26 @dugganasaurus rocks a modified cupping method at #brewerscup – first brewed in a french press, then poured through v60

1:30 @dugganasaurus competes with @counter_culture’s Karatu Barada Nikto kenyan coffee

1:45 we’ll say it again – @milamos performance is a remarkable advert and outreach for @panthercoffee – want to go to miami so bad

1:49 guaraco reduction (sugar), espresso, lightly steamed milk, and vaporized padron cigar – like walking into a cuban coffee bar

1:51 it would be hard to understate how impressed we are, how impressed the room is, with @milamos routine at #serbc – congrats to @panthercoffee

1:54 “it has been a sincere pleasure to share this coffee and culture with you. time.” – camilla (@milamos) calls time at 14 minutes

2:07 a subdued, low-key and professional performance from steve brown @octanecoffee – proof is in the #brewerscup

2:11 Lem took last year’s competition off, but he’s back this year: “I’m like Jay-Z. I retire, but I come back…can’t stop, won’t stop”

2:22 @sexyfoam’s choice of @counter_culture baroida banta microlot is the bedrock of cool at the base of this smooth performance

2:28 “thank you much, enjoy – i want to thank you for joining me on an adventure to the other side of the world” @sexyfoam

2:57 our work this weekend was made possible by sponsorship from @wilburcurtisco – if you enjoyed our coverage, please RT your thanks

3:04 1st place is Matthew Ludwikowski of @octanecoffee #brewerscup @mattluds

3:15 Congrats to Michael Harwood, Trevor Corlett, and your new #SERBC champion Lindsey Kiser of @peregrinedc

The post SERBC Finals Recap: The Sound and Fury appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Congratulations to Lindsey Kiser! Lindsey is your 2012 SERBC champion – she’ll go on to be a first-round bye competitor at this year’s 2012 USBC in Portland, Oregon, and she’ll be joining Cafe Imports on their origin trip to Costa Rica!

Lindsey competes for Peregrine Espresso in Washington DC. Feel free to pass along your props to Lindsey and the Peregrine crew via Twitter @PeregrineDC. It’s worth noting – Lindsey is the first female regional champ in 2 years. #ladiestothefront

Lindsey competed using Counter Culture Coffee’s Papua New Guinea Baroida. You can learn more about CCC PNG Baroida here, and order some for yourself at home.

Final results:

1st. Lindsey Kiser, Peregrine Espresso, DC

2nd. Trevor Corlett, MadCap Coffee, DC

3rd. Michael Harwood, Carrboro Coffee, Carrboro NC

The post Reign of the Kiser! Lindsey Wins SERBC appeared first on Sprudge.com.