Women Dominate in U.S. Coffee Championships Winners Circle

PHOTOS BY PAIGE HICKS
TEXT BY SARAH ALLEN

The United States Coffee Championships wrapped up three days of intense performances in the categories of Roaster, Barista, Brewers Cup, Cup Tasters, and—for the first time—Coffee In Good Spirits, in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday.

Over the five competitions, women took top place in four of them, a first for coffee competitions in the United States.

The winners in Barista and Brewers Cup will go on to compete in the international championships in April at the Specialty Coffee Association Expo in Boston. The World Cup Tasters Championship takes place in June in Berlin at the World of Coffee. The location of the 2019 World Roasting Championship has yet to be determined. Finally, as this was the U.S.’s inaugural Coffee In Good Spirits Championship, the winner will not compete in the international run-off, but has won a trip to the SCA’s Sensory Summit.

U.S. Barista Championship ranking:
1: Samantha Spillman, Dillanos Coffee, Sumner, Wash. Score: 618
2: Andrea Allen, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, Ark. Score: 584.5
3: T. Ben Fischer, Elixr Coffee Roasters, Philadelphia. Score: 550.5
4: Dylan Siemens, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, Ark. Score: 549
5: Sam Neely, Switchback Coffee, Colorado Springs, Colo. Score: 541.5
6: Emily Orendorff, Boxcar Coffee Roasters, Boulder, Colo. Score: 515

U.S. Brewers Cup ranking:
1: Kaley Gann, Messenger Coffee, Kansas City, Mo. Score: 163.52
2: Justin Goodhart, Sweet Bloom Coffee, Denver. Score: 162.96
3: Lance Hedrick, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, Ark. Score: 161.85
4: Jacob White, Bird Rock Coffee, San Diego. Score: 161.22
5: Jennifer Hwang, Klatch Coffee, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Score: 157.66
6: Chelsey Walker-Watson, Atlas Coffee, Seattle. Score: 156.29

U.S. Coffee In Good Spirits Championship ranking:
1: Matt Foster, Kaldi’s Coffee, St. Louis. Score: 284
2: Sam Schroeder, Olympia Coffee, Olympia, Wash. Score: 263
3: Brodie Lewis, Madcap Coffee, Grand Rapids, Mich. Score: 223.5
4: Nathanael Mehrens, Stay Golden, Nashville, Tenn. Score: 210
5: Joel Cronenberg, Provision Coffee, Gilbert, Ariz. Score: 185
6: Dakota Graff, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, Ark. Score: 166

U.S. Cup Tasters Championship top 6 ranking (final round top 3)
1: Jen Apodaca, Royal Coffee, Oakland, Calif. Score: 7 cups; 4:46
2: Summer Zhang, Onyx Coffee Lab, Springdale, Ark. Score: 6 cups, 3:51
3: Samuel Gurel, Sovda Coffee, Portland, Ore. Score: 5 cups, 7:44
4: Helen Choi, Luce Ave Coffee Roasters, Houston
5: Cameron Metzinger, Backyard Beans Coffee Co., Lansdale, Pa.
6: Roman Deshong, Amethyst Coffee Co., Denver, Colo.

U.S. Roaster Championship ranking:
1: Shelby Williamson, Huckleberry Roasters, Denver. Score: 273
2: Hugh Morretta, La Colombe Coffee, Philadelphia. Score: 269.75
3: Mark Boccard, Southdown Coffee, Huntington, Ky. Score: 269.5
4: Janine Cundy, Joe Bean Coffee Roasters, Rochester, N.Y. Score: 266
5: Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters, Ukiah, Calif. Score: 265
6: Eric Stone, Mudhouse Coffee Roasters, Charlottesville, Va. Score: 263.75