A few short days ago we told you about the deep abiding coffee love of Joe Scally, a soccer player on the U.S. Men’s National Team currently duking it out in the knock-out rounds of the 20226 World Cup. With an assist from coffee pro Becky Reeves, the 23-year-old fullback has endeared himself to coffee drinker’s across the nation as a bona fide Coffee Guy. His status as the squad’s unofficial resident barista has caught the attention of multiple media outlets, this one included. And it’s a title well-earned.
Ahead of USA’s first elimination game later today against Bosnia and Herzegovena, Sprudge caught up with Scally for his first-ever exclusive coffee-focused interview. We talked a cuppa joe with Joe, and got the inside scoop on his coffee preferences, his setup at home, and his latte art skills (we also crossed a few coffee nerd questions his way to test his mettle). And if you’re a coffee company looking to send a few samples Joe’s way, just know that he’s not into the anaerobic stuff.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Hey Joe, thanks for sitting down with us. So tell us, how did you get into coffee?
I moved to Germany five years ago when I was 18, and I was by myself, so I was pretty bored. And there’s a big coffee culture in Germany. So I was just going out, drinking coffees, and I started to really love it. Then eventually I bought my own machine, and it became my favorite hobby, my favorite thing to do when I get back from training in the morning. When I wake up, it’s like, honestly, the thing I look forward to most.
You play in the Bundasliga for Borussia Mönchengladbach, which is in far west Germany. So you’re much closer to Amsterdam than Berlin. Would you say the coffee there is more like the Scandinavian style in Amsterdam or is it closer to the coffee in Berlin?
I think it’s closer to Berlin. I don’t know, it’s tough. I think it really just depends on where you go, what kind of coffee shop and what you’re gonna get. I kind of just go to my normal coffee shops in Dusseldorf, the city I live, or I’m making it at my house.
What shops do you go to?
There’s this guy Dritan [Alsela] who’s got a pretty big following on Instagram and Facebook. He has his own roastery that he turned to like a restaurant-cafe kind of thing, which is cool. It’s an awesome place to go.
What about outside of Germany?
The one off the top of my head is in London, Kiss The Hippo.
There have been quite a few UK Barista Champions from Kiss The Hippo.
One of one of my favorite flat whites that I’ve had.
Is it espresso only for you or do you get into pour-over as well?
Just espresso drinks. I haven’t gotten into pour-over yet.
So when you leave Germany, do you take your whole setup?
My setup stays in Germany. We start pre-season training the first week in July and the season goes all the way until May. But I have that same exact setup when I come home to America.
Oh you have two?
Yeah, I have one in Florida as well. Okay, so literally the same exact setup, just different color Linea Mini machines. I have the normal silver, and then I have the kind of matte silver. Yeah, so it’s pretty much the same exact thing.
You’re living the dream.
The only thing I do bring around, I think I have it with me right now, is my Acaia Lunar.
It’s travel size so why not?
Exactly. It’s perfect.
Which of your setups did you bring to USMNT Headquarters?
I didn’t bring either.
Oh interesting. ESPN did a whole thing about you bringing an elaborate coffee setup, but it’s really just the coffee bar. We interviewed Becky Reeves about being the Team USA barista and asked her how long it was before you tried to get back behind the bar. She said it was immediate and that you’ll help out during a rush.
Yeah, when Becky’s doing the coffee bar and there’s a kind of long line, I’ll step in and help her. That’s my favorite thing. I bring my cup down, and I’ll do my thing, and if she’s busy, then I’ll help her out.
Do you ever sneak down after hours to make yourself a drink?
I could. I mean, I would if it was mine, if I brought my own machine. But it’s her setup, I don’t want to be messing around with it. I don’t want to touch her stuff, you know.
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I saw a video on Instagram of you pouring latte art, a tulip, and you’ve got chops.
My thing is like I have the Linea Mini at home, and they have the GS3 here, so it’s just I just haven’t been able to get my milk perfect on it. Normally I could get the defined lines and everything. I can’t do a swan or anything.
Mine mostly looks like wheat. So tell us about your go-to coffee routine. How does it differ from game day to non-game day?
We’ll start not-game day, kind of. How the week is. So, I’ll wake up and right away have a cortado. I like it because it’s less milk, easier on the stomach, for training purposes. Then, fast forward to right after training, I’ll do a flat white. And for my fiance, because she lives with me, I’ll make her like this iced honey cinnamon kind of latte.
On a game day, it’s kind of similar, I’ll wake up, have a flat white, then right before the game I’ll have an espresso. What’s actually cool is at our stadium we have a Rocket espresso machine. Not the same setup but still so so awesome.
Gets the job done.
Exactly. So that’ll be my game day, I’ll have double shot of espresso before we play.
So is your favorite drink the cortado or is it just the most functional pre- physical activity?
Honestly, it depends on the coffee. That’s my main thing. Depends what coffee I’m having. That’s kind of where I’m at.
That’s a great answer, because that gets me right into my next question. What is your go-to coffee when you’re making espresso at home?
So, it’s from Dritan in Germany, like I was saying, it’s his house blend. It’s my favorite, especially for flat whites. It’s very, very good. Definitely my favorite.
And you brought it all back with you from Germany or do you have it shipped here?
I brought it back with me. Actually, it’s funny, once you guys published that article , all these people sent me coffee. All these different places. So now I have a lot of new coffees to try out.
Coffee nerd question: you’re pulling a shot, what are your starting parameters?
18 grams and 36 out normally, in depends, like 27 seconds. I may go, let’s say 17, then a little bit longer, depending on what taste I want with what coffee.
You pulling them a little different if you’re doing espressos versus if you’re doing like cortados?
I’m rarely pulling just espresso.
Letting Becky do that, huh?
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, very, very rarely, even at home, because if I’m making ice lattes for my fiance with honey, she’s not gonna know the difference if I pull it bad or whatever. For myself, if I’m trying a different coffee, I’ll change the temperature a bit, depending on light or darker, just depends on the flavor I want to get from it.
What about processing methods? Do you lean more toward the traditional washed or are you into the super fruity anaerobic stuff that’s pretty popular right now?
I’m not a huge fan of the fruitier coffees. Okay, so, but this is my thing. If I’m going out, I will get a fruity. It’s different. I can drink it one time, let’s say, or two times a week, you know? Not bad, just try something different. But at home, no.
Same. Two ounces, that’s the perfect amount. It’s cool and fun and then I’ll do it again next month.
Exactly, that’s my thing, it’s if I’m out, whatever, I’ll try it, but not at home.
Cow’s milk or alternative milk?
Cow’s milk. If I’m not having stomach problems then yeah, I’m gonna do cow’s milk.
Perfect, thanks Joe!
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
