On Thursday, September 27th, over 200 people gathered together in Minneapolis, Minnesota for an evening of cupping, dining, patient line waiting, drinking, meeting, and laughs. Hüsker Brew was our fifth public cupping party in 2012 – a concept that involves no competition, no milk, and no cash exchanging hands – and while they’ve each been their own little snowflakes, this event in Minneapolis was really very special and memorable for us. There’s a full list of the coffees we cupped available here.
We can hardly take credit for any of it; Cafe Imports threw an impeccable party that we are proud and fortunate to have been a part of. The execution of the cupping itself – one of the largest public cuppings in human history – was pulled off with graceful professionalism by the staff at Cafe Imports.
Surrounded by more than 3 million pounds of green coffee in the Cafe Imports warehouse, the table at Hüsker Brew featured no fewer than 46 coffees in total, sourced from a Cafe Imports client roster that stretches from Minneapolis to Seattle, Copenhagen to New York City, London to Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a truly stunning bounty.
Hüsker Brew was not just a giant cupping, it was also a great foodie party. The local purveyors on hand – apples! cheese! bread! pork! – made us wonder why every coffee party doesn’t link in with local foodstuffs. A thousand thank-yous to the generous vendors at Hüsker Brew, who helped make this one of our very favorite nights in the three year history of writing and producing this website.
And you know what else was great? Friends from out of town, like these guys – Cody Kinart and Scott Lucey, of Alterra Coffee – who drove all the way from Milwaukee:
Or these folks, whose daughters Julia, Karina, and Joy (aged 7, 9, and 10) own a small roaster in rural Minnesota called “College Coffee” – a lemonade stand of sorts that allows the girls to learn about coffee roasting while raising money for college and charity:
Or our friend Deaton Pigot (pictured center), of Toby’s Estate Coffees in Brooklyn, who flew all the way out here to check out the party and cup some coffees with Cafe Imports the next day:
To the roasters, the local food purveyors, every last attendee, and especially to the staff at Cafe Imports – we thank you for a splendid evening. Minneapolis / St. Paul is a really fun town, but its greatest resource are its people – what a bunch of sweethearts, all of you who took us in, filled our cups, shook our hands, and mothered us lovingly when we looked a little lost at the after party. You know who you are, and we can’t thank you enough, and we’re tearing up a little bit just thinking about it.
And so, the Sprudge Cupping Party juggernaut soldiers on! Watch for an announcement for our next event in the coming days – it’s a doozy. And in the meantime, relive our previous events with the links below.
Portland: The intimacy and riotous deliciousness of Rwandalust, sponsored by Stumptown Coffee Roasters
Seattle: The controlled chaos and bonhomie of Colombiana, hosted by Milstead & Co. and sponsored by La Marzocco USA.
Los Angeles: A jaw-dropping roaster roster from around the world at International Delight, hosted by Handsome Coffee Roasters and sponsored by Visions Espresso and Wilbur Curtis Co.
San Francisco: The collaborative glory and stunning setting of Cupping California, hosted by Blue Bottle Coffee Roasters and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, sponsored by notNeutral and Sweet Maria’s.
