Friends, Texans, lend us your ears. In just 2 short weeks Sprudge.com is going big on a weekend of globally-themed coffee events in Houston, Texas, and you’re all invited.

Thriving and diverse, home to many distinct cultures, Houston is a sprawling metropolis that boasts nationally acclaimed restaurants and all-night Indian joints, face-melting Vietnamese pho and carefully considered classic cocktails. The city’s coffee scene is experiencing an extraordinary boom right now, with dozens of available job openings and a rising national profile. We’ll be there beginning Friday, February 28th for an event weekend that includes public tastings, pho slurpings, a remarkable open house featuring sought-after roasters from around the world, and a dining experience helmed by acclaimed chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly.

Don’t sleep on Houston, because Houston never sleeps.

On Friday, February 28th we’re kicking off the weekend with A Taste Of Houston. The day begins with a 1pm public coffee tasting at InterAmerican Coffee (19500 State Hwy. 249, Suite 225), a green coffee importer with big ties to the Houston speciality coffee scene. From single bags of green coffee to full containers, InterAmerican prides itself on working with a broad portfolio of speciality coffee roasters across North America, with offices in Boston, San Diego, and San Francisco. IA is headquartered in Houston, and over the last several years they’ve developed a close relationship with Houston roasters like Greenway Coffee, Amaya Coffee, Boomtown Coffee, and more. This event will be a public chance to check out InterAmerican’s current top-end green coffee offerings, plus meet the team at IA that helps make these coffees happen.

Following the tasting, join us at 4pm at Pho Binh (12148 Bellaire Blvd #101) perhaps the city’s most acclaimed palace of all things Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Called “The best pho in the country” by Huffington Post, we can think of no better way to cap off this event. It’s truly a taste of Houston.

 

On Saturday, March 1st join us at 6pm for a one-of-a-kind special event. We’re calling it the International Open House with Sprudge and Mahlkonig, hosted by Blacksmith (1018 Westheimer). The team from Mahlkonig USA are driving in from North Carolina with a plethora of sought-after coffee grinders, including their K30 Twin (the competition standard model for the US Barista Championship and World Barista Championship) and the cultishly revered EK43. Along with Mahlkonig, we’re reaching out to an impressive roster of international coffee roasters, many of whom will be making their Texas debut at this event.

Acclaimed NYC barista Sam Lewontin will be joining us at the International Open House. Mr. Lewontin is a 2013 Northeastern Barista Competition champion, a 2013 United States Barista Championship finalist, and the General Manager at Everyman Espresso in Manhattan. Mr. Lewontin will be making coffee in residency throughout the event weekend at Blacksmith.

Which international roasters will be on offer? Well…it’s best not to announce these things up front, because the vagaries of customs and global shipping can be cruel, but please trust us. We’ve got some extraordinary coffees coming in from all corners of the globe, and this will be your chance to try these roasters, get hands-on play time with Mahlkonig’s top grinders, and bask in the coolness of the Houston coffee scene. It’s an international event for an international city.

On Sunday, March 2nd join us again at Blacksmith for the latest installment of the cafe’s lauded Blacksmith By Night dinner series. BBN has been featured in the past by the likes of Eater Houston, The Examiner, and Houston Press, and this edition of the monthly fine dining pop-up may be the best yet, presided over by nationally recognized chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly. Mr. Shepherd is a winner of Food & Wine’s Magazine 2013 “Best New Chefs” award, and Underbelly has been gushed over by the likes of Pete Wells at the New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and Southern Living, to name just a few.

This event begins at 5:01 PM and seating is extremely limited. To help set the mood, DJ Sprudge will be presiding over the aural experience at dinner service. In addition to Mr. Shepherd’s superlative food, guests will also enjoy a special coffee and tea beverage menu from the folks at Blacksmith.

Recap:

Friday, February 28th: “A Taste Of Houston” cupping at InterAmerican (9500 State Hwy. 249, Suite 225). Begins at 1pm, followed an informal mixer at Pho Binh. Free, open to the public.

Saturday, March 1st: “International Open House with Sprudge and Mahlkonig, hosted by Blacksmith” (1018 Westheimer). Begins at 6pm, and is open to the public.

Sunday, March 2nd: “Blacksmith By Night featuring Chris Shepherd of Underbelly.” Begins at 5:01pm, with dinner service open to the public and presented a la carte.

All of these events are open to the public. Look to Facebook and Twitter for more hype and details as this weekend of events approaches.