Coffee is an ever-evolving issue. Trends come and go, and sometimes they come back. (Hello, multi-roastery coffee shops!) Novelty things become ubiquitous, and then they lose market share to the next sizzling recent thing. And there are always some flashes. Little quirks that, thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, burn brightly and then just as quickly fade away (much like TikTok itself). Does anyone remember the onion latte or watermelon coffee?
And while the state of coffee is fluid (get this), with no real-time peg pegging it at one specific point on the calendar over another, the recent year seems as good a time as any to assess where specialty coffee is headed, read coffee grounds and make bold predictions.
That’s why Sprudge’s editorial team gathered for a conclave to present their best guesses about what coffee will look like in 2025. What’s coming back? What recent crazy ingredient goes into a latte? Are there any huge surprises waiting for coffee lovers? Our editors have some thoughts.
Zachary Carlsen (Sprudge co-founder): Pickle Coffee will take social media by storm in 2025. Just think: delicious green coffee co-fermented with bread and butter, dill, marinated in a jar, roasted and then cold-brewed in a marinade. Served in blessed dill, with pickles and a gherkin straw. Now that’s taste.
Jordan Michelman (Sprudge co-founder): I predict that in 2025, a group of extremely online “time-honored” coffee activists will campaign to bring back the “i” Gesha.
I also predict that James Hoffmann will surprise the world with his return to the competition stage – in the discipline of Cezve Ibrik! His program, emphasizing the fresh and fruity co-fermentation of guava, would be good enough to earn him a place in the final, where he would ultimately finish third behind Pierre de Chanterac (France) and Dimitris Karampas (Greece).
Liz Clayton (Sprudge editor): Lowering your caffeine intake is all the rage these days with blood pressure expected to rise worldwide in 2025 – and we’re seeing a future beyond decaf as all-foam drinks rise, sending everyone into a coffee-free frenzy and leaving moustaches on the stiff upper lips of crowds. Think Dalgona madness, but without all the coffee.
Jenn Chen (Sprudge Editor): In 2025, the deconstructed drink will return, with the difference that it is no longer a latte served in three parts, because repetitive trends are lifeless. No, you’re in for a whole show: the barista will bring your espresso into a specially designed cup and pour it on the table à la a competition cappuccino. Some cafes are upping the ante and making customers pay extra to pour themselves. Here’s your espresso and some steamed milk – now make your latte. You’re welcome!
Zac Cadwalader (Editor-in-Chief of Sprudge): The coffee will wake up a bit. The last few years have been pretty blunt in the specialty coffee world, and 2025 is the year things start getting wild again. The days of trying to be everything to everyone are coming to an end. Cafes will start to focus on serving coffee the way they would like to drink it. The perspective is noticeable. A medium roast fatty curve is out of the question.
