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Make Sam's Coffee Sherry Cocktail at Home

Posted by Lori White on

Make Sam's Coffee Sherry Cocktail at Home

Winter blues got you down? Why not warm up with a coffee cocktail? We suggest one of Sam Schroeder's Coffee in Good Spirits concoctions—because nothing beats the winter chill like the thrill of mastering a competition-worthy cocktail, right?Meet the Coffee Sherry: a beautifully balanced and stunningly delicious coffee cocktail. Sam served this little number up at the Coffee in Good Spirits Championships. And he recently teamed up with Reyna (who, in 2024, is embarking upon her own Coffee in Good Spirits journey) to whip up a non-alcoholic version to serve at our Columbia City cafe. For a competition-crushing cocktail, it's...

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Stirring It Up: Make Sam's "Hot Mama" Cocktail at Home

Posted by Lori Bailey on

Stirring It Up: Make Sam's "Hot Mama" Cocktail at Home

Our co-founder Sam Schroeder returned from Portland with a shiny first-place trophy from the U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship... and half a mind to take a couple days off after a very long weekend. So, after some well-earned rest, he was gracious enough to meet us back in our Training Lab to chat about what’s next at the World stage of this competition. And to make one of his winning cocktail recipes: a custom creation that he's whimsically dubbed the "Hot Mama." For competition, Sam was tasked with mixing up three cocktails: two of his own creation, one hot,...

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Cupping with Jake: Coffee Tasting with a Cup Tasters Champion

Posted by Lori Bailey on

Cupping with Jake: Coffee Tasting with a Cup Tasters Champion

What's it like to be the Cup Tasters Champion in the United States? For Jake Donaghy, it's back to work as usual... but with the fun memories of Portland to take with him, and even more excitement ahead to look forward to."I just wanted to go and have fun and see friends and meet people," he admitted of his reasons for entering the competition. "But I ended up winning."As the reigning cup tasting champion in the U.S. division of SCA, Jake now advances to compete on the world stage, which will unfold in Greece in June of this year. How's...

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Winner, Winner: Olympia Coffee Takes Two 1st-Place Spots at U.S. Coffee Championships

Posted by Lori Bailey on

Winner, Winner: Olympia Coffee Takes Two 1st-Place Spots at U.S. Coffee Championships

In a weekend abuzz with the nation’s most prestigious coffee competitions, Olympia Coffee showed up strong and took not one, but two first-place wins in the 2023 U.S. Coffee Championships! In the U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, Olympia Coffee co-founder Sam Schroeder took the top spot. And, in the U.S. Cup Tasters Championship, roaster and green coffee buyer Jake Donaghy nabbed first place with a perfect score sheet and the fastest time. The Coffee in Good Spirits Championship tests the limits of both coffee and cocktails, and Sam showed off his mastery of both mixology and coffee craft. After...

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The Road to the U.S. Barista Championship: USBC 2023 Qualifiers in Denver

Posted by Lori Bailey on

The Road to the U.S. Barista Championship: USBC 2023 Qualifiers in Denver
Wheels up to Denver: this weekend, March 3–5, we're headed out to the qualifiers of the 2023 U.S. Coffee Championships. And by "we," we mean the talented, passionate members of our team who have spent these past weeks in preparation mode for their respective events. Including Reyna Callejo, our Training and Innovation Director, who intends to woo the judges of this year's U.S. Barista Championships.

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