A New US Barista Champion

Jak Michael Ryan of Proud Mary Coffee in Austin, Texas is the 2026 US Barista Champion. After placing sixth in 2025, Ryan returned this year, besting returning Finalists Jason Yeo and Meg Skop as well as form USBC Champion Morgan Eckroth. He will go on to represent America at the World Barista Championship in Panama later this year.

And speaking of the WBC, Canada recently determined who they would be sending to Panama. And it is none other than 2020 Canada Barista Champion Jill Hoff of Monogram Coffee.

After a week of few Build-Outs, we’re back with a full slate of new cafes. We had three this week, starting of with Sabbath Coffee Roasters in Royal Oak, MI, who have turned a home roasting operation into a full-scale cafe and roastery. Then, in Laguna Hills, CA, Bird Dog Coffee brings a well-curated multi-roaster program to Orange County. Finally, in Washington, DC, there’s Other Coffee, who started during the pandemic, survived, and is soon to be opening the coffee bar of their dreams.

If there is but one coffee-focused video game (and now video game franchise), it is Coffee Talk. Equal parts coffee and talk, it’s more visual novel than traditional video game, where there are missions and bad guys and progress bars, etc. Coffee Talk is chill. And the latest release takes the franchise to Tokyo. Intrepid games reporter Brianna Fox-Priest gives us her review of the all-new Coffee Talk Tokyo.

It’s summer and in the coffee world that can mean only one thing. No, not cold brew. In this house we drink hot coffee all year round. I’m of course talking about the affogato, the iconic blend of ice cream and espresso. And La Marzocco is taking the affogato on a tour of the country with their summer event series, Ice Cream Social. Come hang with fellow coffee folks and enjoy maybe the world’s best decaf affogato, and it kicks off July 9th in Seattle.

Folks have long used coffee as a way to boost athletic performance. It provides energy and alertness, two key attributes to being at your physical best. But a new study wants to determine exactly how much coffee is required to be at your peak and what sort of additional boost it provides. The short answer is, less than you may think.

It’s a coffee release-heavy installment of press releases this week. First up is Mr. Espresso, who just released a limited-edition Sumatra jasmine co-ferment that offers a unique and floral-forward take on the processing method. Then it was Body Count, the South Central LA afro-latino heavy metal band, who after nearly four decades in music are branching out to coffee.

Last week we learned about the US Men’s Soccer Team’s resident barista, defender Joe Scally. But the designation is an unofficial one, because Team USA has a full-time barista and it is none other than the inimitable Becky Reeves. Anyone who has been in American specialty coffee over the last decade knows Reeves, and we sat down with her to get the inside scoop on what is it like being the team barista.

We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partners each week here in the newsletter. This week’s selection of tasty coffees are…

Presta Coffee Roasters – Peru Gilmer Cordova Finca Ecologica Huabal Gesha
Klatch Coffee – Out of Office
8th & Roast – Elefante
Portland Coffee Roasters – OPBEANS

Equator Coffees – Colombia Los Pinos
Partners Coffee – Honduras Edin Lopez Gesha
Blueprint Coffee – Colombia Nidia Lasso
Night Swim Coffee – Colombia Yessica and Diego Parra
La Barba Coffee – Colombia Los Patios Solsticio
Joe Coffee Company – Cafè Feminista
Stumptown Coffee Roasters — Wild Flower
Phil & Sebastian – Sure Thing
Onyx Coffee Lab – Geometry
Madcap Coffee – Eureka
Olympia Coffee – Big Truck
Mr. Espresso – Java Garut
PERC – Super Power Plum
Verve Coffee Roasters – Wilder Blend
Caffe Umbria – Bizzarri Blend

Breville - Test Kitchen Associate, Coffee Specialist - Torrance, CA
Royal Coffee - Junior Trader - Emeryville, CA

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