An Interview with the 2023 Brewers Cup Champion, Pairing Coffee and Cheese, and Seeking Out Sustainable Shops

• 2023 US Brewers Cup Champion Joe Jang: The Sprudge Interview

  By Seiji Nanbu for Sprudge

  “I was pretty emotional the first couple of days after it happened, and I was very surprised I won with such strong competitors. I was surprisingly relaxed for the Finals, since I didn’t really expect to win and just wanted to put on a great show. After I heard my name get announced, memories of all the effort I had put in over the last few years flooded my head. I know I put in a lot of effort, but I feel really lucky. I put so much passion and effort into making coffee, but at the end of the day luck is also involved.”

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• How to pair specialty coffee and cheese

  By Ana Pipunic for Perfect Daily Grind

  “While butter or Bulletproof coffee is popular in some Western countries (mainly North America and the UK), some Scandinavian countries also drink kaffeost, or coffee cheese. This traditional Scandinavian beverage is made by adding small cubes of leipäjuusto (or bread cheese) to a cup of filter coffee. The cubes of cheese will melt slightly, and will absorb some of the coffee’s flavours. At the same time, the coffee will take on some of the cheese’s nutty and buttery flavours.”

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• How to find sustainable specialty coffee shops and roasters

  By Matt Haw for Perfect Daily Grind

  “Sustainability continues to be a pressing issue in the specialty coffee sector – and for good reason. With demand for more sustainable coffee continuing to grow, it’s essential that industry professionals and stakeholders limit their environmental impact as much as possible. This includes coffee shops and roasters. In recent years, we have certainly seen an uptick in the number of cafés and roasters implementing more socially and environmentally responsible business practices.”

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