The best part of waking up is coffee in your cup — and PDXtoday in your inbox, of course. Today, we’re pouring a fresh, hot cup of news serious caffeine aficionados can use: we’re talking all about the Specialty Coffee Expo.
The event runs Friday, April 21-Sunday, April 23 at the Oregon Convention Center. It’s technically a trade show, but it’s open to retailers, roasters, food and beverage professionals, and coffee enthusiasts. Attendees can browse cutting-edge coffee products from 500+ vendors, network with industry professionals, attend lectures, and learn more about the art of cupping, brewing, or roasting at a hands-on workshop. Check out the full schedule of events.
Coffee pros will also put their skills to the test at the US Coffee Championships taking place across all three days of the expo. The country’s top brewers, baristas, roasters, and tasters will take their shot at representing the United States at the World Coffee Championships in Athens and Taipei later this year.
Wenbo Yang competed in the Brewers Cup category at a qualifying round in Denver.
Photo by @lessandmorecoffee
Five local competitors will represent the Portland area in five separate categories. Seidy Selivanow and Matthew Selivanow, both of Kafiex Roasters, will compete for US Barista and US Roaster, respectively. Wenbo Yang of Artly Coffee will compete in the US Brewers Cup and US Latte Art competitions. Andrew Coe of Elevator Coffee will also vie for the US Roaster title, while Ryan Jie Jiang of Less and More Coffee will compete in the US Cup Tasters category.
Portland’s own Morgan Eckroth is the reigning 2022 US Barista champion — and finished second internationally. Though she won’t defend the title this year, Morgan will likely be “hanging around the competition area.”
