Welcome, welcome, welcome to Day One of Round One for the 2026 US Barista Championship. We are here at Huckleberry Roasters HQ in Denver, Colorado to bring you live coverage of every competitor taking the stage today. Sixteen. That’s the number of routines we’ll see today, and a whopping six of them come from former Finalists. One of whom, San Schroeder, is also a Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. If it feels like it’s a stacked day, it’s because it is (except spoiler alert: tomorrow is the exact same).
And we’re here for the whole thing, to bring you the sights and sounds and all those mind-bending flavor calls. We’ll be updating this very article you are reading with the informational deep dives on each routine as they happen, so make sure your finger is glued to that refresh button. It’s going to be an exciting year for the US Barista Championship, and it all starts here. Here we go!
Sprudge Media’s coverage of the 2026 US Barista Championship is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Ghirardelli, Swiss Water, Cafe Imports, La Marzocco, and Huckleberry Roasters.
Livestream the 2026 US Barista Championship on YouTube hosted by event sponsor Roastronix.
Circle Chan (she/her) – The Coffee Movement – San Francisco, CA
Kicking things off at the 2026 US Barista Championship is Circle Chan of The Coffee Movement in San Francisco. Chan is looking to improve upon last year, where her incredible Hawaii-focused routine took her all the way to the Finals, finishing in fourth place, in her first year of competing no less.
This year Chan competes with a Gesha variety coffee produced by Diego Bermudez at Finca El Paraiso in Colombia. The coffee, which has been roasted by Berkeley’s Hydrangea Coffee Roasters, whose Ashlynne Wike took second at this year’s Brewers Cup, was created by yeast-inoculating overripe Gesha cherries then thermal shock processing them.
Starting with the milk course, in a 1:3 ratio with a blend of 70% lactose-free whole milk, 29.5% evaporate milk, and .5% non-fat milk powder to enhance the perception of sweetness, the Salma Gesha has flavors of black milk tea, vanilla custard, and wildflower honey.
The signature beverage course is a tribute to Chan’s grandfather, particularly their time at Giants baseball games together. It’s going full Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks, combining espresso with toasted corn stock, clarified mango puree, and maple orange blossom syrup. It gets blended with ice to chill and dilute for notes of sesame cookie, peanut butter, grape jelly, orange creamsicle, and mango lassi.
Chan ends her set with espressos. Stirred at least 10 times, to be consumed after time is called, they have flavors of mango, dulce de leche, and elderflower, with a medium weight, creamy texture, and a lingering mango finish.
Circle Chan closes out the first routine of the 2026 US Barista Championship by calling time at 15:49.
Sam Schroeder (he/him) – Olympia Coffee – Seattle, WA
“Elevate, amplify, preserve. Three pillars in the pursuit for clarity.” That’s the way 2023 US Coffee in Good Spirits and multi-time USBC Finalist Sam Schroeder kicks off his routine. Schroeder competes today with a Gesha produced by Maria Amoruso of Finca Lérida in Boquete, Panama. Unlike Chan’s coffee, these cherries were picked just before the peak of ripeness, then undergoing a five-day cold room anaerobic fermentation.
Pulled at a longer 19g in to 50g out, as an espresso the Panama Gesha has notes of apricot, jasmine tea, and lemongrass, with a medium-light weight, silky body, and a lingering finish. Schroeder removes the crema from his espressos using the Better Vessel, created by Philippines Barista Champion Michael Harris, who used the device to post top marks in the espresso course at last year’s World Barista Championship.
For the milk course, Amoruso’s Gesha undergoes an extended roast time, to elevate the floral and stonefruit characteristics, and when combined with a 50/50 blend of lactose-free 2% milk and grassfed whole milk—freeze-distilled to 50% of the total weight—the flavors transform to those of honey and canned peaches.
Ending with the sig bev, Schroeder combines a cacao nib and lemongrass tea, whey, anaerobic fermented peach and plum syrup, and carbonated water, finished with a floral lemongrass atomized mist, to give the Gesha notes of oolong, semi-sweet chocolate aftertaste, and guava.
And Olympia Coffee’s Sam Schroeder calls time at 15:02.
Cole Oppedisano (he/him) – Corvus Coffee – Denver, CO
Following two former Finalists, we’re moving on to our first first-timer of the competition with Cole Oppedisano. He’s also the first local, representing Denver’s Corvus Coffee Roasters. More firsts accrue, as Oppedisano is the first to use multiple coffees over the duration of his routine.
Not to belabor the point, but he is also the first (and most likely only) competitor this weekend who made his own ceramics, at the nearby Kinship Studio.
For the first course, the milk beverages, Oppedisano is using a Mejorado variety from the esteemed Juan Peña of Finca La Papaya in Ecuador. In a 1:1 ratio with whole milk, the macchiato-style drink has flavors of lemon cream pie, sweet marzipan, and a dark chocolate finish.
Moving onto the espressos, Oppedisano switches the Enigma, an extended natural processed, carbonically macerated Gesha produced by Jameson Savage on Panama’s Finca Deborah, expressing notes of sweet concord grape, smooth blackberry juice, and pear brandy, with a soft effervescence and velvety mouthfeel.
Sticking with the Enigma, Oppedisano combines chamomile clarified tea, honey simple syrup, lemon oleo saccharum, aquafaba, and soy lectin, finishing with orange blossom spritz and a candied lemon peel. It presents in the cup (read: glass stemware not created by Oppedisano) with floral notes, blueberry lemon bar, and a milk chocolate finish. Cole Oppedisano calls times at 15:23.
Will Shadley (he/him) – Mandarin Coffee – Los Angeles, CA
Next up to the stage is Will Shadley of Mandarin Coffee in Los Angeles, California. Shadley may be a rookie, but he has teamed up with Jaymie Lao, who coached 2024 US Barista Champion Frank La, 2025 US Coffee in Good Spirits Champion Jerry Troung, 2026 US Latte Art Champion Marco Monzon, and 2025 Brewers Cup Runner-Up Christian Bak. All of which to say, if you’re trying to spot the first-time competitor that comes seemingly out of nowhere to make a deep run, smart money is on Shadley.
For the milk course, Shadley is using a natural processed ET47 variety coffee produced by Jonny Alvarado at La Cusuka and the in Costa Rica. His milk is a 2% milk that has been freeze distilled down to 50% by weight. Shadley chose this lower fat milk for its higher sodium content, which gets concentrated even more in the freeze distilling process. It gets finished up a touch of whole and coconut milk, and combines with a shorter shot of the natural ET47 for notes of warm sake, white miso, and cheesecake, with a lingering golden kiwi finish.
Moving on to the espresso course, Shadley switches the coffee to a washed Gesha from Marlene Rojas at Finca El Nevado in Inkawasi, Cusco, Peru. It expresses a blackberry acidity, with notes of peach, red plum, and pomelo, and a light, silky tactile. In the signature beverage, the same Gesha espresso gets combined with turbinado oleo sacchrum, agave peppercorn syrup, Yunnan white tea, and agar clarified pine honey, all nitrogen charged for flavors of cola, paloma, osmanthus, and butterscotch.
Will Shadley of Mandarin Coffee calls time at 15:11.
Anthony Ragler (he/him) – Black & White Coffee – Raleigh, NC
We are in for a treat. Up next to the stage is Anthony Ragler representing Black & White Coffee Roasters. Ever the captivating storyteller, Ragler always finds inspiration for his routine from his family. This routine is inspired by his two non-verbal autistic sons.
Coffee today for Ragler is a thermal shock Sidra from Edinson Argote at Quebraditas Coffee Farm in Huila, Colombia. He’s the first competitor today to NOT use a Gesha, in case you’re keeping count.
Ragler starts off his set with the signature beverage course, which a play on an affogato. Ragler instructs the judges to pour their espresso over a steeped parmesan rind and turbinado sugar and add a balsamic glaze, which has flavors of salted caramel, raspberry compote, and chocolate mousse. It’s a course about play and having fun.
Moving to the milk course, Ragler combines lactose-free milk with a freeze-dried milk powder, and when added to the thermal shock Sidra, it has notes of chocolate cake, cherry, whipped cream, like a black forest cake in cortado form.
There’s so much happening in Ragler’s routine. Just really multi-sensory. I want to see it again in Semi-Finals so we can dive in deeper.
Ragler finishes with the espresso course, which has a silky mouthfeel and flavors of craft chocolate.
Anthony Ragler calls times at 15:06.
Jason Yeo (he/him) – Saint Frank Coffee – San Francisco, CA
We’re back with another former Finalist, Jason Yeo of Saint Frank Coffee in San Francisco. If you’ve been following US coffee competitions, you can probably guess the producer of Yeo’s coffee. In keeping with Saint Frank tradition, Yeo’s coffee comes from producer Benjamin Paz from his farm La Salsa high up in Santa Barbara, Honduras. A Greep Tip Gesha, it has been darkroom dried and naturally processed.
As an espresso, pulled at 19g in to 40g out, the Gesha expresses flavors of tangerine, rainier cherry, with a black tea finish.. Pulled at the same output but with a slightly higher, 21g dose, the Green Tip Gesha is combined with a blend of lactose-free and rice milk that has had 30% of the water content evaporated out of it, and it has notes of cherry, cheesecake, and an almond crumble finish
For the signature beverage, Yeo uses hyperchilled espressos pulled at the same ratio as the milk course, to which he then adds a freeze-clarified hibiscus, peppercorn, pineapple, and soursop punch and a non-alcoholic California Chardonnay combined with an elderflower cordial. All components get blended together, creating flavors of lime sherbet, peach, lychee, and white grapefruit.
Jason Yeo calls time at 14:02, the first competitor of the day to not go over 15:00.
Fernando Ayala (he/him) – Tuyo Cafe – Santa Ana, CA
Up now to the stage is Fernando Ayala, who competes as a sort of dual-national for Tuyo Cafe, a highly lauded coffee shop in Mexico with a location Stateside in Santa Ana. Kicking things off with the espresso course, Ayala is using a wash processed Gesha from Finca Deborah in Panama. Pulled at 18g in to 40g out, it has notes of jasmine, mandarin, and sweet lime.
For the milk course, Ayala switches to a Red Bourbon from Finca Las Flores in Colombia that has been double anaerobic fermented. Combined with freeze distilled milk, it has flavors of dulce de leche, cheesecake, and peach jam.
Lots of cheesecake calls thus far in the competition. But what cheesecake? Are we talking New York style? Basque? Japanese? Simple “cheesecake” won’t cut it anymore. It’s time we really get into it.
Tonka bean and non-alcoholic whiskey get combined with espresso for the signature beverage, expressing notes of cherry and chocolate, to be consumed just after Ayala calls times, which he does at 15:55, just seconds before the 16-minute cutoff.
Ziah Bloom (he/him) – Lamppost Coffee – Austin, TX
We’re moving to the Texas portion of the proceedings today with Ziah Bloom of Lamppost Coffee in Austin. Bloom competes with a Black Honey thermal shock processed Gesha variety produced by Edwin Noreña at Campo Hermoso in Quindio, Colombia.
First course for Bloom is the milk course. Using a 70/20/10 blend of freeze-distilled lactose-free milk, oat milk, and macadamia nut milk, a shorter 20g in to 36g out shot of Gesha espresso combines for notes of brown butter, Neapolitan ice cream, and honeycomb.
As an espresso, the Black Honey Gesha has an intense sweet florality and wine-like acidity, and after a quick stir with a chilled spoon has notes of grape candy, lemon rind, flaxseed, and coconut sugar.
In the sig bev, Bloom uses a clarified cascara and yuzu syrup, fermented honey tea, and fresh red grape juice, all nitrogen infused and finished with a lemon oil spritz, giving the drink flavors of chamomile tea, caramel, apricot jam, and grapefruit juice.
Ziah Bloom calls time at 14:49.
David Buehrer (he/him) – Greenway Coffee Company – Houston, TX
Houston, Texas you can check his tags. Next up is none other than David Buehrer of Greenway Coffee Company. Buehrer is another of today’s competitors whose first USBC appearance was over a decade ago. He made a triumphant return in 2022, where he made his first Finals appearance.
He’s kicking his routine off with the espresso course, using a cold room dried, washed Gesha grown by producer and Panama Barista Champion Juan Sebastián Hernandez on Finca Lerida in Boquete. Light-bodied and juicy, the Gesha espressos expresso notes of apricot, peach, yuzu lemon, pink lemonade, fresh apple, and sparkling green grape.
We’ve got not only our first Rwandan coffee of the afternoon, but our first African coffee. It’s an anaerobic fermented, natural processed Red Bourbon from Nova Farm and it is the basis of Buehrer’s milk course. Using a 70/20/10 blend of freeze-distilled organic whole milk, lactose-free freeze-distilled milk, the Rwandan espresso tastes like raspberry sauce, hot fudge, cherry, and cheesecake.
For the final course, Buehrer combines a Gesha blossom tisane, a fructose-based simple syrup, and citric acid, all blended with an ice cube, giving it notes of tangerine, peach, apricot, and lychee gummy candy.
David Buehrer calls time at 15:04.
Case Osborn (he/him) – Longmont, CO
Our next competitor to the stage is also our first independent competitor of the 2026 USBC, Case Osborn from nearby Longmont, Colorado.
Folks, we are blending. We’re not talking about a paltry two coffees either, but five—count them five!—different coffees. The espresso blend is back, baby! Though Osborn’s is very of the moment, consisting of four different co-ferments and one carbonically macerated Red Bourbon, all from Colombia and roasted by Lamppost Coffee.
Osborn’s megablend is used in his signature beverage along with hibiscus, lemongrass, and licorice root tea, homemade cherry cordial, and mineral drops, all of which get carbonated.
But all good things must come to an end and so too does the use of the blend, with Osborn switching to a single origin for the espressos. This one is a wash processed Parainema variety from Victor Bermudez in Colombia, and it expresso notes of lemongrass, orange peel, agua de Jamaica, and cardamom, with a light effervescence.
Finally for the milk course, Osborn opts for a two coffee blend, combining 70% of the Parainema with 30% of a banana co-ferment from the first course. In milk, it has tastes of banana cream pie, milk chocolate, and demerara sugar.
And Case Osborn ends his first time competing by calling time at 16:32.
We’ll be updating this article with more routines as they happen, so stay tuned!
