The perfect daily grind

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind summarizes the most critical news from the world of coffee from the previous week.

Here are the stories from this week – the word of the week is tests.

Mon, April 15

• Mahlkönig celebrates 100 yearsFounded in Hamburg, Germany in 1924 as Stawert Mühlenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Mahlkönig has become one of the most iconic and recognizable grinder brands in the coffee industry.

• Winners of the 2024 WBrC & WCTC and US Roasting, Latte Art & CIGS Championships Announced. Austrian Martin Wölfl won the 2024 World Brewers Cup, and Dionatan Almeida took first place in the 2024 World Cup Tasters Championship. Eduardo Choza of Mayorga Coffee won the 2024 US Coffee Roasting Championship, and Joe Yang of Artly Coffee was named the 2024 US Latte Art Champion. The 2024 US Coffee in Good Spirits Championship took place from April 11 to 14, 2024, with first place going to Reynalyn Callejo of Olympia Coffee.

Tue, 16 Apr

• New study reveals prehistoric roots of coffee in EthiopiaScientists at the University at Buffalo in Modern York have sequenced the genomes of 39 Arabica varieties and traced their origins to a natural cross between two other coffee species that occurred some 610,000 to a million years ago in Ethiopia. That would make coffee older than Homo sapiens.

• Ethiopian Cup of Excellence to return in 2024According to the CoE, as a result of: “numerous challenges in Ethiopia to properly conduct all of our demanding activities that are required in our program,” the CoE Ethiopia has been suspended for 2023. The competition and auction will return in mid-July this year and will be held in Addis Ababa.

• Origin Coffee Names Jax Jackson New Head of Wholesale. The British coffee roaster has appointed Jackson as Head of Wholesale to lead its growth strategy, drawing on his extensive experience from roles at The Barn and Brooklyn Coffee. His expertise will support the company’s expansion plans under CEO Tom Sobey.

Wed, 17 Apr

• Julius Meinl announces the Meinl Barista Cup competitionThe Austrian coffee roaster invites baristas to showcase their skills in national competitions in 12 countries, culminating in a grand finale in Vienna – where participants will serve espresso, cappuccino and signature drinks.

Thu, April 18

• Barista League returns to Mexico CityThe event was held for the third time in Mexico City, with ten teams and several guest judges taking part – including 2023 World Brewers Cup champion Carlos Medina.

• Australian Single O opens another location in JapanThe company has launched Ryogoku Roastworks, which includes a roastery, cafe and expanded production facility. A Shibuya cafe concept will follow in July, marking the brand’s third location in Tokyo.

Friday, April 19

Here are some coffee news from previous weeks that you might find fascinating. Take a look:

Photo sources: Specialty Coffee Association

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