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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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U.S. Coffee Championships, Here We Come!

Posted by Lori Bailey on

U.S. Coffee Championships, Here We Come!

Welcome to Specialty Coffee Week! This Friday through Sunday, April 21–23, the U.S. division of the Specialty Coffee Association is holding its annual Expo in Portland, Oregon. It's an incredible opportunity to spend precious time with old friends and new, to learn from others in our industry with knowledge and wisdom to share, and to push the limits of what coffee—and those who brew it—are capable of. The latter is the arena of the U.S. Coffee Championships. And, at this high-profile level of competition, we are proud to be cheering on four fabulous folks from Olympia Coffee. Four! Here's who...

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Trip Report: Catching Up with the Ariz Family in El Salvador

Posted by Oliver Stormshak on

Trip Report: Catching Up with the Ariz Family in El Salvador

Just recently we made the trip to visit our friends Ricardo and Marco Ariz. When we say friends, we really mean it. Yes, we purchase their coffee and have been buying their coffee for over ten years—but, at the core, Marco and Ricardo Ariz are my friends. I love these guys, and I feel lucky to do business with them. Ricardo manages the farming aspect of the family business, a busy job that covers their three small farms in El Salvador. El Aguila and Los Charras sit next to each other on a mountainside close to the towns of Santa...

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