We're in the middle of a very busy Build-Outs of Coffee Summer, that time of year when Sprudge spotlights new and exciting projects from near and far. To celebrate, we chose four to highlight on the newest episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast.

To keep hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen in tip top form, the two sip espresso on the show. It's a little daring, a little different—most shows will find the hosts sippin' drip but this episode needed something a little more robust. Find out how the YesPlz Coffee (release #346—Nice Things Blend) tasted from the Sprudge HQ La Marzocco Linea Mini (we'll give you a hint: it tasted delicious.)

Show notes available here.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On this episode, we're taking you on a wild trip, man. Inspired by Verve Coffee's recent collaboration with Grateful Deadand their delicious Morning Brew Blend, hosts Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman weird out on Grateful Dead lore. From favorite eras to favorite albums to tales from the golden road, things get a little heady in an extremely chill way. Later in the episode, Michelman sits down with Verve Coffee Co-Founder Colby Barr to learn more about what it was like working with the Grateful Dead.

Check out the show notes for links out to hear Grateful Dead's one and only Santa Cruz performance, as well as the same show Colby Barr drove out to during his summer in Lake Tahoe.

Verve Coffee Grateful Dead Morning Brew

Enjoy the full 1983 Santa Cruz concert at Archive.org.

Listen to Colby's show at the Sacramento Cal Expo in 1994.

Jordan thinks this coffee would pair beautifully with one of the best Stadium Dead era shows—Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY 7/16/90 on Youtube. 

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

It’s that time of the year again, where the days are long, the coffees are flash chilled, and cafes show up and build-out! On the latest episode the show we explore new cafe build-outs from Bradley Beach, New Jersey, down to Springdale, Arkansas and all the way to Ventura, California. It’s all part of our annual Build-Outs of Coffee series, a humdinger of a program focusing on the hard work, dedication, craftsmanship, and the community it takes to build something great.

On the Coffee Sprudgecast this week, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen ring in the summer season with a very special Sightglass Coffee Summer Solstice Limited Series Seasonal Blend. Summer blends are really great. We spend a lot of time during long winter days talking about Holiday Blends but it’s never been a better time to tap into the well of summertime offerings and dive deep.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

Welcome to the Coffee Sprudgecast. It's not just a coffee podcast, it's a taste experience, where only the strongest endure.

Zachary Carlsen returns from World of Coffee Jakarta on the Coffee Sprudgecast and brings with him delicious coffees, interesting coffees, and coffees he didn't dare dream existed. This includes a Space Roastery coffee that mimics the process of Kopi Luwak (the poop coffee) without using animals. It's a fair and cruelty free Kopi Luwak! No civets were harmed in the making of this coffee. We also try a Vietnam-grown gesha coffee roasted by our reporter Tung Nguyen over at his project Citric Meets Malic. We love it.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

We've got a special bite-sized episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast this week, featuring an interview with 2025 World Roasting Champion Mikaël Portannier. Liz Chai caught Portannier on stage moments after announcements to learn more about his epic win.

Host Zachary Carlsen sips Passenger Coffee's India Bhadra while thumbing through a copy of their 2024 Transparency Report. "In addition to prices paid for every pound of green coffee contracted in the most recent harvest year, and cup quality data," says Passenger, "our 2024 Transparency Report also includes dispatches from our green buying team." It also happens to be beautiful—with rich photos and thoughtful design. Check out Bhadra and their transparency report on their website.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On this special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about the winners of the 16th Annual Sprudgie Awards. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by TerraCycle, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On this very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen list off all the incredible things to see, do, and experience at this weekend’s SCA Expo in Houston, Texas. On the show we also try out the new double-the-size AeroPress XL and make not one but TWO delicious YesPlz “Soft Power” Blend coffees in one pump! It’s a genuine flavor journey and testament to the size and girth of one of specialty coffee’s favorite brew methods.

To celebrate coffee history’s final SCA Expo we make ourselves elevated coffees with the convenience of a Keurig. We recently partnered with a company called BestCup who crafts Keurig compatible “Hi-Fi Coffee Pods” using quality coffees roasted by respected roasters like Amavida and La Barba (just to name a few). It marks the first time Sprudge has had a Keurig machine in its podcast studio. Did our hosts enjoy it? Listen along to find out!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

It's time again for another rousing episode of the Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen on the Sprudge coffee podcast The Coffee Sprudgecast! Learn about how we curate our popular city guides, find out about the 16th Annual Sprudgie Award Finalists (voting open now!)

On this episode of The Coffee Sprudgecast Michelman and Carlsen wet their whistles with a Chemex brew of Bekele Kachara Natural out of Muraga, Ethiopia roasted by our friends and partners Heartwood Coffee Roasters. "Bekele employs a meticulous approach to coffee farming," Heartwood writes on its website, "using shaded pre-drying beds on-site and nurturing specific coffee varieties. he uses organic methods, fertilizing his farm with compost or agricultural residues. His expertise in coffee processing comes from years of experience, including work at stations in the Bensa and Bona districts of the Sidama region." Delicious!

As things started to heat up, the hosts alleyooped a Ceado Hoop Brew of Partners Coffee's *secret process* Ethiopia Suke Quto. What's the big secret? We have a few guesses after tasting flavor notes of wild cherry, pineapple candy, and concord grape.

So too does Partners Coffee green buyer Sam Klein, who writes,  "we mean it when we say 'secret' process—the few things we do know only add to the mystery. (We think there was inspiration drawn from a globally beloved soft drink.) What's left, then, is sensory clues. It appears to have been dried as a natural (with the fruit still intact), judging from the intensity of fruit flavor, syrupy body, and the reddish appearance of the unroasted coffee. The flavors are articulate and complex, and we're consistently reminded of grape and cherry soda, lambrusco, and root beer, which gradually mellow to white peach, pineapple candy, and passionfruit. Signs point to some kind of intervention in the fermentation process that would aid in the coffee's complexity—perhaps an additional fermentation stage, possibly in an environment where ambient oxygen has been displaced or removed." We love a little mystery in our cup. Who doesn't?

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

On this episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Michelman and Carlsen drink Partners Coffee's limited-edition Valentine's Day "Be Mine" specialty instant coffee and the 4th Place Guatemala Cup of Excellence coffee—a natural pacamara from the Ponderosa farm roasted by Proud Mary.

It's Sprudgies Season! Lots of discussion is had about the Sixteenth Annual Sprudgie Awards. Nominations are open through the end of Presidents' Day weekend—submit a nomination today!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.

A new year, a new Coffee Sprudgecast. It's 2025 and hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen talk about all of the incredible Sprudge Design Award winners on the latest episode of Sprudge's coffee podcast.

Ceado Hoop Brewers come out to brew up a lovely cup of Verve Coffee's special Green Tip Gesha from Elida Estate in Panama. Before diving into the coffee, the hosts tried a hot Black Scottie Chai out of Snohomish, Washington using hot steamy oat milk. Lots of ginger, lots of spice: a classic coffee house chai.

Check out all of the finalists and winners of the Sprudge Design Awards over here.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.