The 2025 Sprudge Holiday Blend Coffee Cupping

The Coffee Sprudgecast is back, it's springtime, the world is buzzing about World of Coffee San Diego, and we're buzzing about The Sprudge Twenty Presented by Pacific Barista Series. Nominations are now open for the eighth annual Sprudge Twenty class, honoring inspiring coffee professionals worldwide.

Perusing the cookbook sections at thrift stores can be a real treat. While digging through well worn copies of Dump Cakes and other Cathy Mitchell classics, we absolutely screamed when we discovered a pristine third edition copy of The Ghirardelli Cookbook (1986). We've worked with Ghirardelli for a number of years, and on the Coffee Sprudgecast here in 2026 we are teaming up to dive deep into the rich and chocolatey world of all things mocha with a segment we're calling Mocha Moments. This forty-year-old cookbook, released in the height of the 1980s San Francisco specialty chocolate boom, is chock full of inspirations for this episode's mocha. We decided to adapt the "California Cappuccino"—a playful mix of chocolate, brandy, and foam—to create something we're calling the California Sober Mocha Cappuccino. By omitting the brandy and subbing out instant coffee with freshly pulled shots of La Barba espresso on our Sprudge HQ Linea Mini, we keep it NA while still leaning in on the psychotropic and mind-altering caffeine buzz, in true California Sober fashion. Before you begin writing your stern letter scolding us for the misnomer, we recognize mocha cappuccino is confusing, redundant, and perhaps, yes, an abuse of the english language. But we're coffee purists, purely having fun with coffee, and to be quite honest, mochas that are one third coffee and chocolate, one third steamed milk, and one third microfoam (the traditional cappuccino rule of 1/3s) is absolutely stunning. Who needs whip when you've got sweet, sweet gently warmed and textured Pacific Barista Series pistachio milk (btw, pistachios sourced from California last time we checked!) Before sliding into our DMs, perhaps give this recipe a shot: The California Sober Mocha Cappuccino Adapted from The Ghirardelli Cookbook by Phyllis Larsen (Third Edition, 1986) 1 heaping tablespoon Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder 2oz La Barba Espresso 4oz frothy Pacific Barista Series Pistachio Milk Warm a diner mug with hot water to keep things nice and toasty. Place a heaping tablespoon (Phyllis Larsen insists on heaping and who are we to say no?) of Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa powder in the mug. Pull a double shot of espresso directly into your mug and mix until the chocolate powder and espresso have combined. Steam milk, cappuccino levels of froth, so that it almost doubles in volume. No soap sud bubbles, please—we're looking for micro-foam here, people. Add a bloop of that textured milk in the mug, stir it up, and add the rest. Bonus points if you can make a pattern in the shape of the state of California. Enjoy! Show Notes We talk about the whole dang world of coffee in this episode—guides from across the globe published right here on Sprudge. We also talk about World of Coffee, formerly SCA Expo, taking place next month in sunny San Diego. Check out the articles mentioned below. https://sprudge.com/hey-san-diego-sprudge-wants-to-hear-all-about-your-plans-for-world-of-coffee-2026-777438.html https://sprudge.com/in-hanoi-roaster-retailer-cafes-offer-a-glimpse-into-vietnams-changing-coffee-culture-468966.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-kigali-rwanda-378657.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-seongsu-dong-seoul-559102.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-ipoh-malaysia-457591.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-historic-cafes-in-tangier-morocco-489099.html Also worth checking out: Old Town Tequila in San Diego Boom Boom Room in San Diego Listen to the whole episode right here: This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, Dripos, DONA, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.

In the 175 episodes of the Coffee Sprudgecast, only a few are truly dedicated and earnestly focused on that most imporant of concepts: Proof of Taste. And on the latest episode, we take proof of taste to 100. Only the flavors matter. Only the best brew will do. Are you on the list? Are you ready to prove your taste once and for all?? On this week's episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen start by brewing coffee using a gorgeous ceramic Vandola that was thrown, glazed, and fired in Costa Rica. Then we dive into the world of Scenery Coffee, the London-based coffee company that just took home top honors in the Notable Roaster category at the 17th Annual Sprudgie Awards. Experimental processing, traditional brewing methods, coffee and coffee gear from near and far: truly this episode has it all…and then some! A little more on this incredible vessel you see above, courtesy of Coffee Balam, who sent us their beautiful Vandola Coffee Brewer designed by Minor Alfaro Alpízar along with their Alfaro Master Roast coffee blend of Catuai and Caturra grown and processed on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula. Together they made a gorgeous, smooth, and beautiful brew. Coffee Balam donates five percent of proceeds to support cultural preservation projects in the Chorotega community. Trying this brewer + roaster combo was a total surprise to us, and we were thrilled to have such a cool concept come in through the general contact form at Sprudge. If you out there in Sprudge land reading this have something incredible you'd like to send our way for future consideration on the pod, get in touch! Meanwhile, Scenery Coffee took home top honors at our global voted Sprudgie Awards, and were kind enough to send along some coffees to sample at Sprudge HQ, with which everyone on team Sprudge was quite impressed. We brewed two of their lovely coffees on this week's episode—India Ratnagiri Estate LAB-6 and Costa Rica Corazón de Jesús "Los Toños" Java—and spent time learning more about both (Scenery's website is excellent). We brewed those coffees this week with the Miir Coffee Hand Grinder, Miir Pourigami brewer, an Acaia Pearl coffee scale, and enjoyed from Slow Pour Supply 2-Way Cups. Check out these coffee tools and other coffee gear at our popular gear hub Coffee Gear! At the end of the day, taste was well and truly proven. Because that's what it's all about. We really can't say it enough. It's all about…proof of taste. 

On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast we go on decidedly delicious deep dives. It's *all* about proof of taste—and we're here to prove that taste is what matters above nearly all else. Listen in our as intrepid founders glide over the modernity of romance in 2026, subject listeners to an Orwellian abuse of the word "purist", and enjoy Caffe Umbria Bizzarri Blend (how Bizzarri, how Bizzarri) as an espresso. Like the mighty I Ching, like the collected works of Shakespeare, this episode contains multitudes, so please expect all that and truly, so much more. Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen, no stranger to drink building as evidenced by their 2023 text But First, Coffee, create a signature drink worthy of a barista competition inspired by Stumptown Coffee's new seasonal Valentines Day offering. It's all part of a new feature Mocha Moments produced in partnership with Ghirardelli. You'll hear us whip it up and go all out on mochas mochas mochas throughout this feature series, so buckle up, chocoholics: you're in for a treat. It takes a Gear Garden to make a mocha, and this episode's mocha was made with espresso pulled from a Flair Espresso 58 Plus, milk steamed by a La Marzocco Linea Mini, ingredient components weighed using a handy Acaia Lunar scale, and coffee ground using the Baratza Encore ESP Pro. As promised, we offer to you, the listener, who is us, our very first Mocha Moments recipe so you too can dazzle your sweetheart (or sweethearts!) at home: Cardamom Rose Dusted Chocolate Covered Strawberry Rhubarb Mocha 1 tbsp Ghirardelli Chocolate & Cocoa Sweet Ground Powder 1 tsp Cardamom Rose Spice Dust from DONA 1 1/2 tsp Oregon Growers Strawberry Rhubarb Jam 2 shots of espresso Caffe Umbria Bizzarri Blend 4-6oz steamed Pacific Barista Series Pistachio Milk Put the dry ingredients, jam, and espresso at the bottom of your mug. Using the espresso, gently mix all the ingredients together. Pour a bit of steamed (or cold) milk in and stir again to ensure everything is pleasantly blended. Add the rest of the milk to taste and sprinkle with a little more Cardamom Rose Spice Dust. We mention our mocha mugs are from Miir, a special edition tumbler, and here they are: ALSO ON THIS EPISODE, Zachary whips up a Lotus Biscoff yogurt "tiramisu" in the style of the popular TikTok trend. Unlike the popular TikTok trend which merely uses any old flavor (or unflavored) yogurt, we kick it up a notch by actually involving coffee in this "tiramisu" using Tillamook Stumptown Cold Brew yogurt. Much munching and tasting ensues and yes, it's actually quite good.  Special thank you to all of our fabulous podcast listeners, the sponsors that make this all possible, and everyone else out there in Sprudgelandia. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and DONA.

The Coffee Sprudgecast celebrates the seventeenth year of Sprudgie Award winners and honorees, presented in partnership with Pacific Barista Series, on this very special episode. Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen fuel up before getting into it with the help of Klatch Coffees' Valentine's Day offering Aphrodite Nº 3 and the delightful Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane from DONA. The Aphrodite Nº 3, ground using MiiR's sturdy hand grinder and brewed up on the trusty Ceado Hoop Brewer, offers flavor notes fit for the season: subtle florals (elderflower, rose) and nuanced red berry. The Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane, part of DONA's incredible Tea Library collection, kept us grounded and soaring with unmistakable lemongrass goodness. And one more thing... we need to talk about these coffee potato chips. Seattle's Umami Kushi—famous for their okazu pan, delightful snacks, and delicious pop-ups—has been crafting artisan-level potato chips available to purchase at their shop. Umami Kushi teams up with Boon Boona Coffee Roasters for a coffee-forward (but not too forward) BBQ flavored potato chip that's well worth the trip to Rainier Beach. The hosts crunch and munch on the chips, made with a carefully considered blend of spices and just the right about of coffee. The coffee says, "hey I'm here, I'm helping," instead of what it can sometimes do ("hey look at me look at me TASTE ME LOVE ME"). Zachary Carlsen goes out on a limb to say that this is one of the best coffee snacks he's ever had (and trust us, he's had a lot of coffee snacks). Jordan Michelman suggests the classic school lunchroom hack of adding them to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And guess what? We did. Give Umami Kushi a follow on Instagram @umamikushi to learn more about their stunning potato chips and where to find them—and thank you, thank you to Umami Kushi for reaching out! Perhaps the 18th Annual Sprudgie Awards will finally feature the category Best Coffee Food. We're looking at you, Umami Kushi, and we're also looking at any brownies with delicious coffee in it—and we're decidedly not looking at you, 2 Affogato. Listen along to learn more about the 17th Annual Sprudgie Awards Presented by Pacific Barista Series, and a very special thank you to PBS for your continued support of this program—ensuring every nomination is free, every vote counted, and every alternative milk exquisite. ❤️ This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and DONA.

In the year brew thousand… in the year brew thousaaaaand! The new year is upon us and, as such, there has never a more relevant time to look into the future. Fueled with pour-overs of Loyal Coffee's Mountain Melody Blend brewed using an appropriately futuristic brewer, Sprudgecast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen make their startling predictions for 2026. Did someone say futuristic brewer? Yes, that's right. Live on the show, the hosts try out the Melitta Senz V, a high-tech pour-over brewing kit that pairs with the Wabilogic phone app. The brewer is loaded with sensors (two scales, temp probe, and TDS) that send data in realtime to the app—providing temperature, brew time information, and TDS measurements. The TDS (total dissolved solids) data is sent to the app, giving the user an analysis that predicts the overall extraction level (strength) of the brew. On the device itself, it displays a simple interpretation of that data with nine built-in taste profiles (e.g. "strong", "acidic").  Measuring coffee's TDS using laboratory-grade refractometers have been part of professional specialty coffee toolkits for over a decade, and the Melitta Senz-V brings this useful technology to the casual home coffee brewer—especially to those who are experimenting with their brew water. The coffee brewer has been "out there" since 2022, with availability really ramping up in 2025, and the app is connected to an active community of users sharing their data and even rating their roasted coffee's quality, offering a useful database of highly rated coffee roasters and brew recipes. For our Loyal Coffee Mountain Melody blend, we gave it five stars. Predictions abound on the episode—but to find out what we really think you'll need to listen. Or read the transcript. You do you! It's 2026—we're just thirteen buttons in, 352 to go! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and DONA.

We're ready for the World Flairista Championship on this special year-in-rebrew episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Podcast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen take the Flair 58+2 for a twirl with the La Prima Espresso Co. Buon Natale holiday blend. Jordan calls Zachary a "confirmed Flairista". Coffee podcast hosts can't live on espresso alone, so they slurped mightily upon a Ceado Hoop brew of New Orleans' own Brassline Coffee Roasters Session Blend. To smooth out, Michelman rips into some "Honey, Honey" herbal tisane from the Dona Tea Library. To take it up a notch, he adds Coffee Blossom Honey (available in a 5 gallon bucket format) effectively making it a "Honey, Honey, Honey". "I'm giving my personal designation of Jordan's Product of the Year to the Dona Tea Library," declares Michelman. Much is discussed on this episode—including a shout out to all of the Sprudgie Award Finalists. Vote now! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Breville, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

It's officially Holiday Blend season here at the Sprudge Headquarters. To celebrate, we conducted an epic coffee cupping with exceptional Holiday Blends from 24 coffee roasters. Once properly overly caffeinated, Coffee Sprudgecast hosts and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman hopped on the mics to unpack and share notes. 'Tis the season, so brew up a hot cup of holiday blend, fix yourself a plate of speculoos, and have a listen! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Breville, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On today's episode of The Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen drip drop minerals, dish about coffee events and the seventeenth annual Sprudgie Awards (noms open November 10!) Michelman discusses his experience at HOSTMilano, the massive food convention that played host to the 2025 United States Barista Championship, and the La Marzocco Out of the Box Event in Milan: fresh coffee, new gear, hot collabs, and frothy gossip. On this episode, the hosts were sipping a delicious Ethiopia Koke Honey roasted by Presta Coffee. Thanks, Presta! Stay tuned to Sprudge and @Sprudge on Instagram for the very latest. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA. Show notes: Miir Coffee Hand Grinder Meet the New Standard Hand Grinder – the perfect companion for coffee lovers at home, on the road, or camping. Designed to provide a consistent grind from coarse to espresso-fine, this portable coffee grinder delivers precision with every use. Durable conical stainless steel burrs and an easy-to-rotate folding handle make grinding coffee effortless. Slow Pour Supply 2-WayCup Introducing the award winning, newly refined 2-WayCup, crafted with precision and an eye for excellence. In collaboration with Martin Wölfl, WBrC 2024 Champion, 2-WayCup's design has been elevated to ensure an enhanced tasting experience. This champion-approved refinement guarantees that every sip meets the highest standards of enjoyment. Slow Pour Supply Apax Lab Water Mineral Concentrates APAX LAB mineral concentrates: TONIK, JAMM, and LYLAC — are formulated to create specific water profiles that subtly alter how coffee flavors are perceived. By changing the mineral balance of your brewing water, they enhance different aspects of the coffee, such as sweetness, acidity, or floral notes. These mineral concentrates are designed to be easily applied. They influence the way your palate interprets the existing flavors of coffee, unlocking its fullest potential. Add Apax Lab mineral concentrate to your brew water or directly to your coffee post-brew and unlock new exciting profiles! Ceado Hoop Pour Over Coffee Brewer If you're a Coffee Sprudgecast listener, you've no doubt heard us talk about the Ceado Hoop, an innovative and fun to use new home coffee brewer that uses radial infusion for an even, expressive brew. This brewer is simple, intuitive, and offers you an easily repeatable brewing method—we absolutely love it for trying different coffees each week on our podcast. Try it once and you'll agree, this is a fabulous new edition to your home brewing set-up. TIMEMORE Basic 2.0 Electronic Espresso Scale Crafted with high-quality acrylic, this sleek and compact scale is durable and low-profile. The waterproof dial surface and upgraded closable charging port ensure protection from liquid damage. Includes a silicone waterproof insulation pad for added convenience. We love coffee gear. Find out about all the coffee gear we're geeking out over here!

Barreling into November—this podcast needs a drink! At the top of the latest episode we rip a generous glug of State Line Distillery's new Coffee Liqueur with coffee from Madison, Wisconsin's Kin-Kin Coffee. The reaction? "Oh." "Oh?" "Ohh." The unique flavor sensations don't end there—hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen Ceado Hoop Brew a special offering from Deadstock Coffee and Portland, Oregon's renowned Haitian restaurant Kann. To round things out, the hosts taste Partners Coffee's Colombia Chiroso limited release—a beautiful cup to carry them through the episode. Check out the latest coffee offerings from Partners Coffee at our Roaster's Village portal. Stay tuned to Sprudge and @Sprudge on Instagram for the very latest. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.