Sprudge Twenty Interviews!

We kicked off our 2026 Sprudge Twenty interview series this week, talking to two of the newest cohort celebrating the movers in shakers in the world of coffee. First up was Emily Potter, who has been a driving force in Detroit coffee with Washed Up Coffee as well as annual event Roast Retreat, now in its fourth year. Then, we spoke with Hafiz Mangalji, who has created, Hyunah Coffee Club, a space in Brooklyn for coffee enthusiasts.

Nine bars of pressure is kind of the gold standard in espresso. But new research finds that maybe it is too much? Turns out, after five bars of pressure, things start to get a little weird and channeling may be the result from the added pressure.

Producing two to four million pounds of coffee annually, Kauai Coffee Company is the largest producer in America. And in January of this year, they were in danger of losing their lease on the 3,100 acre property. But after some negotiations with the Denver-based private equity firm that owns the land, Kauai Coffee Company was successfully able to sign a new lease, and keep all 140+ individual employed.

People will tell you to not drink coffee first thing in the morning. They have a lot of reasons for this, but one of them is the belief that it will lead to the dreaded afternoon caffeine crash. But not so fast, says a new round of research. It found that coffee doesn’t actually lead to afternoon crash. And if there is one, it’s nothing a little more coffee can’t fix.

The link between coffee and liver health has been well researched at this point but there’s nothing wrong with a little more. Examining over 350,000 individuals, a new study found that regular coffee consumption is linked with decreased instances of liver disease, liver cancer, and liver-related death.

From the press releases desk this week we learned about Backyard Beans expanding their retail footprint into four states with The Giant Company stores. Meanwhile, the San Franciscan Roaster Company announced new ownership and leadership.

We have one Build-Out of Coffee for you this week, this one coming from Harlem. Same Time Tomorrow is a communal gather space, coffee shop, and art gallery that opened at the end of May.

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…

Partners Coffee – Burundi Gahahe
Night Swim Coffee – Colombia Ronaldo Hurtado Estate
Klatch Coffee – Panama Esmeralda Reserva De Cabaña Gesha Natural
Equator Coffees – Golden Hour Blend
La Barba Coffee – Ethiopia Musa Abalulesa Honey
Presta Coffee Roasters – Peru Gilmer Cordova Finca Ecologica Huabal Gesha
8th & Roast – Elefante

Portland Coffee Roasters – OPBEANS
Blueprint Coffee – Colombia Nidia Lasso
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

Corvus Coffee Roasters - Trainer - Denver, CO
Needmore Coffee Roasters - Shop Manager - Bloomington, IN
Equator Coffees - General Manager - Orinda, CA
Equator Coffees - Shift Leads - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Equator Coffees - Baristas - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Equator Coffees - Bench General Manager - Burlingame, CA
Equator Coffees - Kitchen Lead - San Francisco, CA
Equator Coffees - Production Roaster - San Rafael, CA

Do you have a news tip? Feedback? A funny joke? Send us an e-mail, use the contact form on Sprudge, leave a message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE, or send us a letter at PO Box 86342 Portland, OR 97286.