Welcome, welcome, welcome to Day One among Spherical One for the 2026 US Barista Championship. We’re right here at Huckleberry Roasters HQ in Denver, Colorado to convey you reside protection of each competitor taking the stage at present. Sixteen. That’s the variety of routines we’ll see at present, and a whopping six of them come from former Finalists. One among whom, San Schroeder, can also be a Espresso in Good Spirits Champion. If it feels prefer it’s a stacked day, it’s as a result of it’s (besides spoiler alert: tomorrow is the very same).
And we’re right here for the entire thing, to convey you the sights and sounds and all these mind-bending taste calls. We’ll be updating this very article you’re studying with the informational deep dives on every routine as they occur, so be sure your finger is glued to that refresh button. It’s going to be an thrilling 12 months for the US Barista Championship, and all of it begins right here. Right here we go!
Sprudge Media’s protection of the 2026 US Barista Championship is sponsored by Pacific Barista Sequence, Ghirardelli, Swiss Water, Cafe Imports, La Marzocco, and Huckleberry Roasters.
Livestream the 2026 US Barista Championship on YouTube hosted by occasion sponsor Roastronix.
Circle Chan (she/her) – The Espresso Motion – San Francisco, CA
Kicking issues off on the 2026 US Barista Championship is Circle Chan of The Espresso Motion in San Francisco. Chan is trying to enhance upon final 12 months, the place her unimaginable Hawaii-focused routine took her all the best way to the Finals, ending in fourth place, in her first 12 months of competing no much less.
This 12 months Chan competes with a Gesha selection espresso produced by Diego Bermudez at Finca El Paraiso in Colombia. The espresso, which has been roasted by Berkeley’s Hydrangea Espresso Roasters, whose Ashlynne Wike took second at this 12 months’s Brewers Cup, was created by yeast-inoculating overripe Gesha cherries then thermal shock processing them.
Beginning with the milk course, in a 1:3 ratio with a mix of 70% lactose-free entire milk, 29.5% evaporate milk, and .5% non-fat milk powder to reinforce the notion of sweetness, the Salma Gesha has flavors of black milk tea, vanilla custard, and wildflower honey.
The signature beverage course is a tribute to Chan’s grandfather, notably their time at Giants baseball video games collectively. It’s going full Purchase Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks, combining espresso with toasted corn inventory, clarified mango puree, and maple orange blossom syrup. It will get blended with ice to sit back and dilute for notes of sesame cookie, peanut butter, grape jelly, orange creamsicle, and mango lassi.
Chan ends her set with espressos. Stirred no less than 10 instances, to be consumed after time is named, they’ve flavors of mango, dulce de leche, and elderflower, with a medium weight, creamy texture, and a lingering mango end.
Circle Chan closes out the primary routine of the 2026 US Barista Championship by calling time at 15:49.
Sam Schroeder (he/him) – Olympia Espresso – Seattle, WA
“Elevate, amplify, protect. Three pillars within the pursuit for readability.” That’s the best way 2023 US Espresso in Good Spirits and multi-time USBC Finalist Sam Schroeder kicks off his routine. Schroeder competes at present with a Gesha produced by Maria Amoruso of Finca Lérida in Boquete, Panama. Not like Chan’s espresso, these cherries had been picked simply earlier than the height of ripeness, then present process a five-day chilly room anaerobic fermentation.
Pulled at an extended 19g in to 50g out, as an espresso the Panama Gesha has notes of apricot, jasmine tea, and lemongrass, with a medium-light weight, silky physique, and a lingering end. Schroeder removes the crema from his espressos utilizing the Higher Vessel, created by Philippines Barista Champion Michael Harris, who used the system to submit prime marks within the espresso course eventually 12 months’s World Barista Championship.
For the milk course, Amoruso’s Gesha undergoes an prolonged roast time, to raise the floral and stonefruit traits, and when mixed with a 50/50 mix of lactose-free 2% milk and grassfed entire milk—freeze-distilled to 50% of the entire weight—the flavors rework to these of honey and canned peaches.
Ending with the sig bev, Schroeder combines a cacao nib and lemongrass tea, whey, anaerobic fermented peach and plum syrup, and carbonated water, completed with a floral lemongrass atomized mist, to offer the Gesha notes of oolong, semi-sweet chocolate aftertaste, and guava.
And Olympia Espresso’s Sam Schroeder calls time at 15:02.
Cole Oppedisano (he/him) – Corvus Espresso – Denver, CO
Following two former Finalists, we’re shifting on to our first first-timer of the competitors with Cole Oppedisano. He’s additionally the primary native, representing Denver’s Corvus Espresso Roasters. Extra firsts accrue, as Oppedisano is the primary to make use of a number of coffees over the length of his routine.
To not belabor the purpose, however he’s additionally the primary (and almost certainly solely) competitor this weekend who made his personal ceramics, on the close by Kinship Studio.
For the primary course, the milk drinks, Oppedisano is utilizing a Mejorado selection from the esteemed Juan Peña of Finca La Papaya in Ecuador. In a 1:1 ratio with entire milk, the macchiato-style drink has flavors of lemon cream pie, candy marzipan, and a darkish chocolate end.
Shifting onto the espressos, Oppedisano switches the Enigma, an prolonged pure processed, carbonically macerated Gesha produced by Jameson Savage on Panama’s Finca Deborah, expressing notes of candy harmony grape, clean blackberry juice, and pear brandy, with a gentle effervescence and velvety mouthfeel.
Sticking with the Enigma, Oppedisano combines chamomile clarified tea, honey easy syrup, lemon oleo saccharum, aquafaba, and soy lectin, ending with orange blossom spritz and a candied lemon peel. It presents within the cup (learn: glass stemware not created by Oppedisano) with floral notes, blueberry lemon bar, and a milk chocolate end. Cole Oppedisano calls instances at 15:23.
Will Shadley (he/him) – Mandarin Espresso – Los Angeles, CA
Subsequent as much as the stage is Will Shadley of Mandarin Espresso in Los Angeles, California. Shadley could also be a rookie, however he has teamed up with Jaymie Lao, who coached 2024 US Barista Champion Frank La, 2025 US Espresso in Good Spirits Champion Jerry Troung, 2026 US Latte Artwork Champion Marco Monzon, and 2025 Brewers Cup Runner-Up Christian Bak. All of which to say, when you’re making an attempt to identify the first-time competitor that comes seemingly out of nowhere to make a deep run, good cash is on Shadley.
For the milk course, Shadley is utilizing a pure processed ET47 selection espresso produced by Jonny Alvarado at La Cusuka and the in Costa Rica. His milk is a 2% milk that has been freeze distilled all the way down to 50% by weight. Shadley selected this decrease fats milk for its larger sodium content material, which will get concentrated much more within the freeze distilling course of. It will get completed up a contact of entire and coconut milk, and combines with a shorter shot of the pure ET47 for notes of heat sake, white miso, and cheesecake, with a lingering golden kiwi end.
Shifting on to the espresso course, Shadley switches the espresso to a washed Gesha from Marlene Rojas at Finca El Nevado in Inkawasi, Cusco, Peru. It expresses a blackberry acidity, with notes of peach, pink plum, and pomelo, and a light-weight, silky tactile. Within the signature beverage, the identical Gesha espresso will get mixed with turbinado oleo sacchrum, agave peppercorn syrup, Yunnan white tea, and agar clarified pine honey, all nitrogen charged for flavors of cola, paloma, osmanthus, and butterscotch.
Will Shadley of Mandarin Espresso calls time at 15:11.
Anthony Ragler (he/him) – Black & White Espresso – Raleigh, NC
We’re in for a deal with. Up subsequent to the stage is Anthony Ragler representing Black & White Espresso Roasters. Ever the fascinating storyteller, Ragler all the time finds inspiration for his routine from his household. This routine is impressed by his two non-verbal autistic sons.
Espresso at present for Ragler is a thermal shock Sidra from Edinson Argote at Quebraditas Espresso Farm in Huila, Colombia. He’s the primary competitor at present to NOT use a Gesha, in case you’re preserving depend.
Ragler begins off his set with the signature beverage course, which a play on an affogato. Ragler instructs the judges to pour their espresso over a steeped parmesan rind and turbinado sugar and add a balsamic glaze, which has flavors of salted caramel, raspberry compote, and chocolate mousse. It’s a course about play and having enjoyable.
Shifting to the milk course, Ragler combines lactose-free milk with a freeze-dried milk powder, and when added to the thermal shock Sidra, it has notes of chocolate cake, cherry, whipped cream, like a black forest cake in cortado kind.
There’s a lot occurring in Ragler’s routine. Simply actually multi-sensory. I need to see it once more in Semi-Finals so we are able to dive in deeper.
Ragler finishes with the espresso course, which has a silky mouthfeel and flavors of craft chocolate.
Anthony Ragler calls instances at 15:06.
Jason Yeo (he/him) – Saint Frank Espresso – San Francisco, CA
We’re again with one other former Finalist, Jason Yeo of Saint Frank Espresso in San Francisco. When you’ve been following US espresso competitions, you may in all probability guess the producer of Yeo’s espresso. In step with Saint Frank custom, Yeo’s espresso comes from producer Benjamin Paz from his farm La Salsa excessive up in Santa Barbara, Honduras. A Greep Tip Gesha, it has been darkroom dried and naturally processed.
As an espresso, pulled at 19g in to 40g out, the Gesha expresses flavors of tangerine, rainier cherry, with a black tea end.. Pulled on the identical output however with a barely larger, 21g dose, the Inexperienced Tip Gesha is mixed with a mix of lactose-free and rice milk that has had 30% of the water content material evaporated out of it, and it has notes of cherry, cheesecake, and an almond crumble end
For the signature beverage, Yeo makes use of hyperchilled espressos pulled on the identical ratio because the milk course, to which he then provides a freeze-clarified hibiscus, peppercorn, pineapple, and soursop punch and a non-alcoholic California Chardonnay mixed with an elderflower cordial. All elements get blended collectively, creating flavors of lime sherbet, peach, lychee, and white grapefruit.
Jason Yeo calls time at 14:02, the primary competitor of the day to not go over 15:00.
We’ll be updating this text with extra routines as they occur, so keep tuned!
Supply – sprudge.com
