Global Coffee Expo by the Specialty Coffee Association , formerly known as SCAA, is the granddaddy of all coffee conferences. What’s one of the best things about conferences? The parties of course!

The guys at Sprudge faithfully put together a great list of everything going on and we wanted to share it with you below. We also threw together a graphic with some of the highlights so you can save it on your phone and have it with you on the go.

If you having an event or even know about one, let us know or leave a comment, we’ll be constantly updating the list.

See you in Seattle!

Thursday, April 20th

Coffee & Natural Wine with Vif & Olympia Coffee
Vif Coffee|Wine 4401 Fremont Avenue North Seattle, WA
6pm—9pm

Coffee is delicious—no arguments here—but when it gets to be around, let’s say 6pm or so, we yearn for a splash of something a bit different in our glass. Natural wine is a real passion for us here at Sprudge and so please, join our friends and partners at Olympia Coffee Roasting Company as they team up with Seattle’s Vif Coffee | Wine for an evening of living wine delights. This event is free and should be a fun, delicious, dare we predict classy way to kick things off over SCA weekend, with live music and support from event partners Baratza and Long Miles Coffee Project.

TNT with Mavam x NW Space Agency
Conduit Coffee Company 2501 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA
6pm-11pm

Perhaps the opposite end of the spectrum from the above Vif & Oly Coffee party is this sure-to-be-raucous TNT hosted at Conduit Coffee by NW Space Agency, in partnership with under counter espresso mavericks Mavam. The event is a Macgyver-style throwdown, with a big weird variety of pouring vessels to select, everything from odd old mugs to hollowed out doll heads. That this party should fall on the 20th of April—a global stoner holiday—has not been missed by the event’s organizers, and our very own DJ Sprudge is set to present a carefully curated set of weed anthems to close out the evening. Prizes at this event come from Mavam, Conduit Coffee, Sprudge, Visions Espresso, and Brew Global.

SCA Unic French Wine Reception
Columbia Tower Club 701 5th Ave, Ste 7500 Seattle, WA
6PM-10PM

Wine is delicious—this we’ve established—and it goes great with a stunning view from high overlooking one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Join UNIC Espresso of Nice, France for an evening celebrating delicious French wine, with an equally intoxicating view from the 76th floor of the Columbia Tower, in the heart of downtown Seattle. This event is free and open to coffee professionals and guests.

SCA Expo Official Launch Party & USCC Latte Art Throwdown
Paramount Theater 911 Pine St Seattle, WA
6pm—9pm

Assimilate with your fellow Borg-mates at this, the most official of all official parties happening on Thursday evening in Seattle. Entry is free with your SCA badge, and once inside you can bask in the moment’s perfection with a tasty cold brew omega molecule cocktail, enjoy a virtual reality farm tour (!) courtesy of SCA Expo title sponsor Starbucks (!!), and ply your pours at stirring USCC latte art throwdown, complete with an $1000 cash prize from Pacific Foods.

Friday, April 21st

Coffee ON:Line
Cherry St. Public House 210 Occidental Ave S. Seattle, WA
5:30PM — 8pm

Content creators are why coffee is such a big deal now, and this event celebrates them in the form of free drinks, a smart panel, and nice vibes. Coffee ON:Line is a new platform from content creators Ashley Tomlinson and Vania Ling, and Sprudge is proud to be sponsoring their inaugural event along with event hosts Cherry St. Public House. Panelists include our own staff writer Anna Brones, along with Brian Jones (DCILY), Erica Brianna (@thecoffeenomad), and Bryan Schiele (@letsbrew.coffee). Much more information is available at the official Coffee ON:Line website. Follow Coffee ON:Line on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and RSVP to join us at the April 21st event.

Red Fox Coffee Merchants Natty Wine Chill Sesh
Upper Bar Ferdinand 1424 11th Ave Seattle, WA
5-10pm

Oakland’s Red Fox Coffee Merchants are hosting a chill sesh with tasty oysters, grilled snacks, good vibes, and plenty of delicious natural wine at Upper Bar Ferdinand. Please note there are 2 Bar Ferdinand’s, and while both lovely, this event is at the 1424 11th Ave location, *not* the Melrose Market location

Elevated Coffee Experience presented by Espresso Parts & Trichome
Trichome 618 South Jackson Street Seattle, WA
6pm—8pm

What if coffee had like, weed, man? This is the question that the Elevated Coffee Experience at Trichome seeks to answer. The really very nice Jackson St. smoke lifestyle shop has teamed up with Espresso Parts to serve up a strange brew of Elm Coffee Roasters filter infused with bud butter. There will be DJs, lots of non-coffee locals, and if the last time they threw this event is any indication, some pretty elaborate and frankly ominous looking dab rigs lurking downstairs. Tread wisely, and take a Lyft. This party has a $5 suggested donation and you need to RSVP via EventBrite.

Royal Coffee, Inc. Happy Hour
Maker Space 92 Lenora Street Seattle, WA
6pm-8pm

Join the crew from the Bay Area’s Royal Coffee, Inc. at a chill happy hour with drinks and snacks.

Partly Sunny Party by Cafe Imports
Fremont Foundry Events 154 N 35th St. Seattle, WA
6-10pm

Cafe Imports always throw a great party at SCA, and this year–co-sponsored by Barista Magazine and Roast Magazine–is sure to be no different. With free food and drinks and hot beats from DJ RADAMES, there will be a lot of fun to be had.

Unofficial Coffee Technicians Party
Visions Espresso 2737 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA
7-10pm

Are you a coffee nerd of the wrench-turning variety? Do you look forward to the technical jargon portion of most Sprudge cafe write-ups? Then this is the party for you, with beer from Georgetown Brewery and a one-year Coffee Technicians Guild membership giveaway on offer.

Saturday, April 22nd

La Marzocco 90th Anniversary 90s Music & Costume Party
La Marzocco Cafe 472 1st Ave Seattle, WA
8pm—Midnight

Join us at the La Marzocco Cafe at KEXP—2016 Sprudgie Award winner for Best New Cafe—for an unforgettable night of looks, sounds, and moments that celebrate the 1990s, and the 90th anniversary of La Marzocco. There will be food trucks, batched Negronis, beer and cider. There will be hot DJs spinning the greatest hits of the Clinton era. There will be a very special costume contest, personally adjudicated by Sprudge Media Network founders Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen. All this and much more—join us, we predict this will be the party of the year—and yesteryear.

Camber Coffee Happy Hour
Sun Liquor 514 E Pike St Seattle, WA
3pm-6pm

It’s chill, it’s delicious, and it’s raising money for a good cause—this party has it all. Expect prizes from Acaia, Bonavita, and a grand raffle prize, the Baratza Sette, all with tasty cocktails and small bites from Sun Liquor.

Gianni’s 80th Birthday Party
Cafe Vita Bean Room 1005 E. Pike St Seattle, WA
7pm

Celebrate the man, the myth, the legend—Gianni Cassatini of Nuova Simonelli turns 80 this year, and you can celebrate with him in style at this very special event featuring an open bar, delicious pizzas, and live music.

Roasters Guild Party
Pyramid Alehouse 1201 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA
7pm

These events are always popular, but we couldn’t find anything online about it—no Facebook event, no listing page via CoffeeExpo.org—if you know more about this sure-to-be-great event, especially regarding whether or not it is open to the public this year, please get in touch.

Sunday, April 22nd

All-Women Latte Art Competition hosted by The Coffeewoman
Cherry St Public House 210 Occidental Ave Seattle, WA
6pm-9pm

Pretty stoked for this one, a unique all-women latte art competition with some really great prizes, hosted by Cherry St. Public House and presented by The Coffeewoman. All proceeds go to Planned Parenthood, and the winner receives a spiffy new Linea Mini courtesy of Counter Culture Coffee. Sign-up info is available via the event’s official Facebook listing.

Barista Guild Party
Trinity Nightclub 111 Yesler Way Seattle, WA
8:30PM

These events are always popular, but we couldn’t find anything online about it—no Facebook event, no listing page via CoffeeExpo.org—if you know more about this sure-to-be-great event, especially regarding whether or not it costs like $50 this year, please get in touch.

Big thank you and shout out to Sprudge for releasing the full list again this year. Excited to see everyone at a couple of these parties!

The post Where’s the party? Here’s the 2017 Global Coffee Expo Parties List! appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.

The perky cartoon icons that we have all grown to love don’t always roll out of bed with the plastered smile across their face. The day in and day out of performing and capturing the imaginations of individuals around the world takes a toll and can really grind the gears of even the most professional cartoons. A necessary boost from an outside force can truly be the only way to get on on the path to superstardom. Seeing famous cartoon characters before their coffee truly gives an appreciation for the dedication that they have towards their cartoon craft.

Assuming that even our animated performers can simply roll out of their animated bed ready to perform the daily tasks of entertaining so many humans is unreasonable. Therefore, Illustrator Sam Milham created an extremely eye-opening series of cartoon character wakeups with the before of all of your fuzzy favorites, and the liquid solution to their peppy demeanor. In conclusion, Milham pulls back the curtain before the magic happens is never a pleasant experience. Without a doubt, Milham captures the tortured beginnings of so many mornings through the animated eyes of legendary characters in a relatable manner that very few can deny.

Spongebob Squarepants Before Coffee

Pikachu Before Coffee

Yoda Before Coffee

Teletubbies Before Coffee

Tweetie Bird Before Coffee

Hello Kitty Before Coffee

Bb-8 Before Coffee

Bart Before Coffee

Samuel L. Jackson Before Coffee

The Mask Before Coffee

Finn Before Coffee

Mr. Potato Head Before Coffee

Bugs Bunny Before Coffee

Kermit Before Coffee

Toy Story Before Coffee

Homer Before Coffee

Beavis Before Coffee

Papa Smurf Before Coffee

Rocko Before Coffee

Hey Arnold Before Coffee

Dave Grohl Before Coffee

Gonzo Before Coffee

Filburt Before Coffee

Blinky Bill Before Coffee

Link Before Coffee

Yzma Before Coffee

Ernie Before Coffee

Mr. Bighead Before Coffee

For more amusement, look at these coffee memes that’ll be sure to keep you entertained.

Which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below…

The post 27 Famous Celebrities & Cartoon Characters Before Their Coffee appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.

You love coffee. You love coffee so much you feel the need to permanently and publicly display it. If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo proclaiming your love of the black brew, check out these 15 coffee tattoos for some ink inspiration.

Plain Coffee Cup Tattoo

Keep it simple & small with a classic and subtly coffee cup icon.

Roasted Coffee Bean Tattoo

Show off your love for the bean itself.

Coffee Mug Tattoo

Remind yourself why you need coffee so much. As if you really need reminding.

Teacup Hand Tattoo

Make sure people know your dream is to have another cup of coffee inside your cup of coffee. MC Escher style.

Pocketwatch Latte Tattoo

Don’t be afraid to get a little punny. We love puns. We love them a-latte.

Coffee With Wings Tattoo

Keep your love close to your heart.

Caffeine Molecule Tattoo

For your inner coffee geek, get scientific with this molecule for caffeine tattoo.

Coffee or Death Tattoo

Tell everyone how you really feel when there’s no coffee, and don’t be afraid to go big.

Dagger and Hot Coffee

Share your feelings on decaf while you’re at it.

French Press Tattoo

Show your loyalty to your favorite brewing method. Whether it’s French Press..

Chemex Tattoo

Or a Chemex…

Portafilter Tattoo

Or with this portafilter for espresso

Antique Coffee Cup Tattoo

Don’t be afraid to spell it out with this traditional tattoo design.

Coffee Cherry and Leaf Tattoo

Go all green thumb with a coffee plant tattoo.

Cursive Finger Tattoo

Just make sure everyone knows your one true vice.

Keep in mind, your coffee addiction gains serious street cred when you’re sporting a coffee tattoo while drinking a cup of BeanGenius coffee. Do you have an amazing coffee tattoo you want to share with us? Show us in the comments below!

The post 15 Insane Coffee Tattoos for People Addicted to Coffee appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.

We love coffee. Love talking about it, dreaming about it, drinking it…even reading about it. We asked our team to share their favorite books about coffee; we’ve compiled their responses so that we can share with you, here!

The World Atlas of Coffee: From Beans to Brewing – Coffee Explored, Explained, and Enjoyed | James Hoffmann

A beautiful world guide to the bean, Hoffman’s book takes the reader on a global tour of coffee-growing countries. The World Atlas of Coffee provides everything from an overview of the world’s most flourishing coffee regions to step-by-step brew tutorials. Author, Hoffman, is the 2014 World Barista Champion as well as operator of East London’s award-winning Square Mile Coffee Roasters.

Published 2014, 256 pages

The Infinite Emotions of Coffee | Alon Y. Halevy

The Infinite Emotions of Coffee provides a contemporary and holistic view of coffee and the tradition and culture that has grown around it. Over 3 years of research in more than 30 countries on 6 continents, Halevy produces this immersive read, which includes over 180 color photos and beautifully-illustrated infographics.

Published 2011, 160 pages

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World | Mark Pendergrast

In Uncommon Grounds, Pendergrast covers the history of coffee from its discovery to the advent of Starbucks. The first decade father 21st century saw much change in the coffee industry, from the globally plummeting prices during the “Coffee Crisis” to the Fair Trade movement and the “third wave.” Consider this your comprehensive guide to the journey of coffee.

Published 2010, 480 pages

The Birth of Coffee | Daniel Lorenzetti & Linda Rice Lorenzetti

The Birth of Coffee exposes the substantive bones of the coffee industry. Lorenzetti sheds light on farms and farmers, as well as identifies that in some parts of the world, coffee is more than just a drink, it is a political, economic, and historical force.

Published 2004, 192 pages

 God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee | Michaele Weissman

In God in a Cup, Weissman takes on roles of coffee connoisseur, entrepreneur, and activist while exploring the paradoxical world of specialty coffee. Her guides include Peter Giuliano (Counter Culture), Geoff Watts (Intelligentsia), and Duane Sorenson (Stumptown). This book dives into the contemporary and rapidly-evolving third wave culture of $10 lattes and unprecedentedly high standards; it gives you an up-close look into the movers and shakers behind today’s coffee culture.

Published 2011, 268 pages

Devil’s Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee | Stewart Lee Allen

In this captivating book, Stewart Lee Allen treks three-quarters of the way around the world on a caffeinated quest to answer these questions: Did the advent of coffee give birth to an enlightened western civilization? Is coffee, indeed, the substance that drives history? From the cafés and saloons wherein the French Revolution was born to the roadside diners of classic Americana, Allen wittily proves that the world was wired long before the Internet.

Published 1999, 231 pages

Coffee – Philosophy For Everyone: Grounds For Debate | Scott F. Parker & Michael W. Austin

Curious about the ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and culture of coffee? Then this is the book for you. It covers interviews with Matt Lounsbury of Stumptown, ethics of the coffee trade, and the role of the coffee house to the public sphere.

Published 2011, 264 pages

Coffee: A Dark History | Anthony Wild

Wild dissects coffee’s identity by facets such as alchemy, anthropology, politics in an attempt to understand why coffee is one of the most valuable legally-traded commodities in the world. Bridging the gap between coffee’s dismal colonial past and its perilous corporate present, Coffee reveals the shocking exploitation that has always lurked at the heart of the industry.

Published 2005, 323 pages

Everything But Espresso: Professional Coffee Brewing Techniques | Scott Rao

Rao provides guidance and clarity around the brew process, as broken down into 3 categories of information: coffee extraction (regarding brewing parameters), achieving optimal coffee flavor (via different brew methods), and proper water chemistry and bean storage. Everything But Espresso… covers a wide variety of easy-to-follow information that is backed with quantifiable sources; please note, this might be a bit advanced for true beginners, as it doesn’t acknowledge troubleshooting for basic issues. Besides that, this is a great resource!

Published 2014, 70 pages

Coffee Talk: The Stimulating Story of the World’s Most Popular Brew | Morton Satin

Satin focuses on analyzing how coffee has become a medium around which the interchange of information and ideas takes place; coffeehouses are flocked to for discussion and development. Additionally, he covers the history of coffee as well as the best techniques for home brewing.

Published 2011, 359 pages

There you have it! 10 delicious reads about your favorite drink! Looking to drink some great coffee as you read about it? Snag a bag from the BeanGenius marketplace or begin a subscription; learn from experience as well as words!

The post 10 Books About Coffee: Pair Knowledge With Your Coffee-philia appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.

We love coffee and we love celebrities, so it’s no surprise that celebrities talking coffee makes us happy. There might be more celebrities talking about how much they love coffee if they all had BeanGenius subscriptions, but we digress. Here are a selection of our favorite celebrity quotes about coffee:

“I am a coffee fanatic. Once you go to proper coffee, you can’t go back. You cannot go back.” – Hugh Laurie

“I like coffee because it gives me the illusion that I might be awake.” – Lewis Black

“Coffee is a language in itself.” – Jackie Chan

“Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep.” – Fran Drescher

“To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions.” – Hugh Jackman

“I drink coffee. Without coffee, I probably couldn’t write.” – Jonathan Ames

“I would rather suffer with coffee than be senseless.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

“If it wasn’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.” – David Letterman

“We want to do a lot of stuff; we’re not in great shape. We didn’t get a good night’s sleep. We’re a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup.” – Jerry Seinfeld

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” – T. S. Eliot

“Coffee first. Schemes later.” – Leanna Renee Heiber

“My dream is to have a house on the beach, even just a little shack somewhere so I can wake up, have coffee, look at dolphins, be quiet and breathe the air.” – Christina Applegate

“I’m not one of those people who wakes up and thinks, ‘Bring on the day!’ I have to have about 7 pints of coffee before I’m even remotely awake.” – Stacy London

“Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Like most of the world’s population I’m into coffee, but in a properly big and important way. My perfect weekend would start with a pint of coffee.” – Jimmy Carr

“Coffee, the finest organic suspension ever devised.” – Captain Janeway

Do you have a favorite coffee quote? Feel free to share it in the comments!

The post 16 Celebrity Coffee Quotes appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.

Latte art is one of those beautiful art forms because everything about it is fleeting. The designs probably won’t last until the end of your cup and unless you’re quick with a camera, it can even start dissolving before your eyes. That’s why an amazing cup of latte art will never cease to impress us. Here are some of our favorite examples.

Rosetta Latte Art

A Rosetta is always pretty

Swan Latte Art

This beautifully poured Swan can swim in our cup every day

Swirl Latte Art

Your swirls can get fancy with chocolate sauce

Heart Latte Art

Or you can get fancy hearts in caramel

Tulip Latte Art

A tulip turned sideways becomes an adorable fish!

Fish Latte Art

Your latte can be used to teach you about the food chain

Cat Latte Art

This foam feline just wants to make you smile

Bunny Rabbit Latte Art

Foamy animals so cute, they make us squeal before we drink up

Cat Latte Art

This adorable trio looks like they just heard that lattes are for drinking

Monkey Latte Art

Serious latte art can look like monkey business

Bear Latte Art

This little guy is unbearably cute

Disney Latte Art

Some of our favorite characters can be seen swimming in our cup

Curious George Latte Art

Even a curious little monkey can be a work of art

Character Latte Art

Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, and Charlie Brown all make delicious looking lattes

Dragon Latte Art

There’s no limit to what can be created in a cup, even a fire-breathing dragon!

Face Latte Art

Your latte can even look like a mirror (assuming you look like this guy)

Feet Latte Art

The only time feet are allowed in your coffee is when they’re made of milk.

Mustache Latte Art

You can get a bit of mustache foam in your mustache.

Hat Latte Art

Your latte can inspire you to go garden

Galaxy Latte Art

There’s a whole universe of possibilities!

Have your own favorite photo of amazing latte art? Share it with us in the comments!

The post 20 Examples of Amazing Latte Art appeared first on The BeanGenius Blog.