This is Everybody Shifting On From The US Espresso Championships Qualifying Occasion In Denver
And the field for the US Coffee Championships 2023 is already set. After an exciting weekend of coffee competitions in Denver for the second and final qualifier event of the season, we have a much clearer picture of what’s in store for April’s national round of competition, taking place as part of the SCA Expo event in Portland.
Nearly 200 coffee professionals took to the stage this weekend in Denver in six disciplines: Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, Latte Art and Roasters Championship. And the intrigue was great. Several coffee competition veterans came out of retirement to win a title (or another). Nonetheless – and perhaps a testament to just how high the achievements are even at this stage – newcomers to the competition showed up alike, walking in step with the old guard.
From here it only gets harder. With Portland in mind, where the Denver winners will join the other half of the field at the first qualifying event, held in Baltimore in January, competitors have just six short weeks to tweak the screws and fine-tune their routines to take it to the next level. It’s the most exciting time on the US coffee calendar. But before we forecast and let all the Spostradamus know who’s best positioned to win it all, let’s celebrate those who punched their tickets to Portland over the weekend. Here’s everyone moving on from the second qualifier event of the 2023 US Coffee Championships in Denver, Colorado.
Barista Championship
1. Seidy Selivanow (she/they) – Kafiex Roasters – Vancouver, WA
2. Isaiah Sheese (he/him) – Archetype Coffee – Omaha, NE
3. Anthony Ragler (H/H) – Black & White Coffee – Zebulon, NC
Jenna Gotthelf (she/she) – Counter Culture Coffee – New York, NY
Nora Brady (she/she) – Blueprint Coffee – St. Louis, MO
Gray Kauffman (she/she) – Caffe Vita – Seattle, WA
Becky Reeves (she/her) – Creature Coffee Co – Austin, TX
Frank La (he/him) – Be Bright Coffee – Los Angeles, CA
Veronica Pearl (she/she) – Futura Coffee Roasters – Los Angeles, CA
Maja Balabanova (she/she) – Novo Coffee – Denver, CO
Reyna Callejo (she/she) – Olympia Coffee – Seattle, WA
Reef Bessette (him/her) – The Coffee Movement – San Francisco, CA
Phillip White-Jackson – Little Lunch Coffee – Los Angeles, CA
Adrian Gomez (him/her) – Independent – Chula Vista, CA
Heather McCullough (she/she) – Novo Coffee – Denver, CO
Jason Yeo (him/her) – Saint Frank Coffee – San Francisco, CA
Keziah Hjellen (her/her) – Narrative Coffee – Everett, WA
Brewer Cup
1. Korachai Silapavitankul (him/her) – Amberson Coffee – Indianapolis, IN
2. Danesha Toro (she/her) – Greater Goods Roasting – Austin, TX
3. Jesus Iniquez (he/him) – Archetype Coffee – Omaha, NE
Heather McCullough (she/she) – Novo Coffee – Denver, CO
Wenbo Yang (H/H) – Independent – Vancouver, WA
Yudi (she/she) – Fellow – Los Angeles, CA
Marissa Childers (she/she) – Tanbrown Coffee – Atlanta, GA
Hugo Cano (him/her) – Amberson Coffee – Indianapolis, IN
Eduardo Padilla (H/H) – Pair Cupworks – Mesa, AZ
Daniel Teplitz (H/H) – Klatch Coffee – Los Angeles, CA
Will Johnson (he/him) – Messenger Coffee – Kansas City, MO
Justin Bull (him/her) – Helm Coffee Roasters – Indianapolis, IN
Coffee in a good mood
1. Garrett VanWambeke (he/she) – Independent – Atlanta, GA
2. Natasha Solowoniuk (she/she) – Caffe Vita – Seattle, WA
3. Edwin Gorritz (him/her) – Barista Squared – Orlando, FL
Linea True (she/she) – Boxcar Coffee Roasters – Arvada, CO
Kyle Hamlin (him/her) – Jubala Coffee – Raleigh, NC
Kebechet Moxen – (vehicle/view/xyr) – Independent – Boston, MA
Kimhak Em (H/H) – Pair Cupworks – Tempe, AZ
Cup tasters
1. Thomas Chandler – Black Oak Coffee Roasters – Ukiah, CA
2. Sebastian Legner (he/him) – Coda Coffee – Denver, CO
3. Mehmet Sogan (he/him) – Memli Coffee – San Diego, CA
Jake Donaghy (him/her) – Olympia Coffee Roasting – Olympia, WA
Ryan Jie Jiang – Less and More Coffee – Beaverton, OR
Steve Cuevas (he/him) – Black Oak Coffee Roasters – Ukiah, CA
Andy Sprenger (him/her) – Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters – Lakewood, CO
Reuben Villagomez (he/him) – Paloma Craft Coffee – Brooklyn, NY
Rooney (her/her) – Luce Coffee Roasters – Houston, TX
Rachel Stanich (she/she) – Red Fox Coffee Merchants – Port Costa, CA
Genifer Ness (she/they) – BRC Inc – Manchester, TN
Aaron Rollins – Cafe Ibis – Logan, UT
Andrew Shelley (him/her) – Brio Coffeeworks – Burlington, VT
Latte Art
1. Wenbo Yang (he/him) – Artly Coffee – Portland, OR
2. Truc Ngo (she/she) – IO Coffea – Los Angeles, CA
3. Piyapat Lapteerawaut (he/him) – Coffee Project NY – New York, NY
Kayla Herrera (she/she) – Iconik Coffee Roasters – Santa Fe, NM
Benjamin Parham (him/her) – Independent – Denver, CO
Patrick Gibbs (he/him) – Luce Coffee Roasters – Houston, TX
Roaster Championship
1. Kiara Freysinger (she/she) – Huckleberry Roasters – Denver, CO
2. Kimhak Em (H/H) – Pair Cupworks – Mesa, AZ
3. Steve Cuevas (he/him) – Black Oak Coffee Roasters – Ukiah, CA
Matthew Selivanow (him/her) – Kafiex Roasters – Vancouver, WI
Andrew Coe (him/her) – Elevator Coffee – Portland, OR
Alex Huang (H/H) – Equator Coffees – San Rafael, CA
Mark Kove (him/her) – White Nene Coffee Roasters – Kialua Kona, HI
Sam Larobardier (he/him) – Theory Coffee Roasters – Redding, CA
Congratulations to everyone who keeps going. See you in Portland!
All media about US Coffee Championships
March 6, 2023
