As far as food fads go, protein and the desire for more protein seems to be as enduring as the non-fat craze of the 80s and 90s. Protein injection into familiar foodstuffs and beverages seems to only be getting more pronounced. This also applies to coffee. Protein enhanced coffee beverages, or "proffee", lines RTD shelves in the grocery store and even Starbucks is joining the game with a range of protein infused lattes. Highly addictive and soul draining mobile apps like TikTok and Instagram come out with viral proffee hack each week.

For this episode's Mocha Moment Presented by Ghirardelli, we took the proffee world we're all living in and made something truly delicious on this week on the Coffee Sprudgecast. That's right, it's a count your macros mocha that's as protein-packed as it is rich and decadent.

It's a cottage cheese and milk based beverage we're calling The Mocha Fromage.

Heck, call us proffee purists. And before you wince at the idea of cottage cheese in your coffee, make it yourself! Trust us when we say: cottage cheese milk is going to be huge.

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, Dripos, DONA, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.

1. Create the cottage cheese milk base. Place a cup of cottage cheese and a cup of milk in a blender. Pulse until all of the chunks have been blended out. Pour the frothy cheese milk mixture into a vessel and refrigerate for an hour, or until the bubbles have dissipated.

2. Place a heaping tablespoon of Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder into a pre-heated 8-10oz vessel.

3. Add espresso to the powder and whisk until combined.

4. Steam and lightly aerate cheese milk to 140-150ºF.

5. Plop a little cheese milk into the espresso/chocolate mix and stir again before pouring the rest of the milk into the mug. Refrigerate remaining cheese milk and use within a day.

6. Sip your Mocha Fromage, perhaps with a piece of funky soft cheese to really kick it up a notch.

The Coffee Sprudgecast is back, it's springtime, the world is buzzing about World of Coffee San Diego, and we're buzzing about The Sprudge Twenty Presented by Pacific Barista Series. Nominations are now open for the eighth annual Sprudge Twenty class, honoring inspiring coffee professionals worldwide.

Perusing the cookbook sections at thrift stores can be a real treat. While digging through well worn copies of Dump Cakes and other Cathy Mitchell classics, we absolutely screamed when we discovered a pristine third edition copy of The Ghirardelli Cookbook (1986). We've worked with Ghirardelli for a number of years, and on the Coffee Sprudgecast here in 2026 we are teaming up to dive deep into the rich and chocolatey world of all things mocha with a segment we're calling Mocha Moments. This forty-year-old cookbook, released in the height of the 1980s San Francisco specialty chocolate boom, is chock full of inspirations for this episode's mocha. We decided to adapt the "California Cappuccino"—a playful mix of chocolate, brandy, and foam—to create something we're calling the California Sober Mocha Cappuccino. By omitting the brandy and subbing out instant coffee with freshly pulled shots of La Barba espresso on our Sprudge HQ Linea Mini, we keep it NA while still leaning in on the psychotropic and mind-altering caffeine buzz, in true California Sober fashion. Before you begin writing your stern letter scolding us for the misnomer, we recognize mocha cappuccino is confusing, redundant, and perhaps, yes, an abuse of the english language. But we're coffee purists, purely having fun with coffee, and to be quite honest, mochas that are one third coffee and chocolate, one third steamed milk, and one third microfoam (the traditional cappuccino rule of 1/3s) is absolutely stunning. Who needs whip when you've got sweet, sweet gently warmed and textured Pacific Barista Series pistachio milk (btw, pistachios sourced from California last time we checked!) Before sliding into our DMs, perhaps give this recipe a shot: The California Sober Mocha Cappuccino Adapted from The Ghirardelli Cookbook by Phyllis Larsen (Third Edition, 1986) 1 heaping tablespoon Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder 2oz La Barba Espresso 4oz frothy Pacific Barista Series Pistachio Milk

1. Warm a diner mug with hot water to keep things nice and toasty.
2. Place a heaping tablespoon (Phyllis Larsen insists on heaping and who are we to say no?) of Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa powder in the mug.
3. Pull a double shot of espresso directly into your mug and mix until the chocolate powder and espresso have combined.
4. Steam milk, cappuccino levels of froth, so that it almost doubles in volume. No soap sud bubbles, please—we're looking for micro-foam here, people.
5. Add a bloop of that textured milk in the mug, stir it up, and add the rest. Bonus points if you can make a pattern in the shape of the state of California.
6. Enjoy!

We talk about the whole dang world of coffee in this episode—guides from across the globe published right here on Sprudge. We also talk about World of Coffee, formerly SCA Expo, taking place next month in sunny San Diego. Check out the articles mentioned below. https://sprudge.com/hey-san-diego-sprudge-wants-to-hear-all-about-your-plans-for-world-of-coffee-2026-777438.html https://sprudge.com/in-hanoi-roaster-retailer-cafes-offer-a-glimpse-into-vietnams-changing-coffee-culture-468966.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-kigali-rwanda-378657.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-seongsu-dong-seoul-559102.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-coffee-in-ipoh-malaysia-457591.html https://sprudge.com/the-sprudge-guide-to-historic-cafes-in-tangier-morocco-489099.html Also worth checking out: Old Town Tequila in San Diego Boom Boom Room in San Diego Listen to the whole episode right here: This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, Dripos, DONA, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, and La Marzocco.

In the 175 episodes of the Coffee Sprudgecast, only a few are truly dedicated and earnestly focused on that most imporant of concepts: Proof of Taste. And on the latest episode, we take proof of taste to 100. Only the flavors matter. Only the best brew will do. Are you on the list? Are you ready to prove your taste once and for all??

On this week's episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen start by brewing coffee using a gorgeous ceramic Vandola that was thrown, glazed, and fired in Costa Rica. Then we dive into the world of Scenery Coffee, the London-based coffee company that just took home top honors in the Notable Roaster category at the 17th Annual Sprudgie Awards. Experimental processing, traditional brewing methods, coffee and coffee gear from near and far: truly this episode has it all…and then some!

A little more on this incredible vessel you see above, courtesy of Coffee Balam, who sent us their beautiful Vandola Coffee Brewer designed by Minor Alfaro Alpízar along with their Alfaro Master Roast coffee blend of Catuai and Caturra grown and processed on Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula. Together they made a gorgeous, smooth, and beautiful brew. Coffee Balam donates five percent of proceeds to support cultural preservation projects in the Chorotega community.

Trying this brewer + roaster combo was a total surprise to us, and we were thrilled to have such a cool concept come in through the general contact form at Sprudge. If you out there in Sprudge land reading this have something incredible you'd like to send our way for future consideration on the pod, get in touch!

Meanwhile, Scenery Coffee took home top honors at our global voted Sprudgie Awards, and were kind enough to send along some coffees to sample at Sprudge HQ, with which everyone on team Sprudge was quite impressed. We brewed two of their lovely coffees on this week's episode—India Ratnagiri Estate LAB-6 and Costa Rica Corazón de Jesús "Los Toños" Java—and spent time learning more about both (Scenery's website is excellent). We brewed those coffees this week with the Miir Coffee Hand Grinder, Miir Pourigami brewer, an Acaia Pearl coffee scale, and enjoyed from Slow Pour Supply 2-Way Cups.

Check out these coffee tools and other coffee gear at our popular gear hub Coffee Gear!

At the end of the day, taste was well and truly proven. Because that's what it's all about. We really can't say it enough. It's all about…proof of taste.

The Coffee Sprudgecast celebrates the seventeenth year of Sprudgie Award winners and honorees, presented in partnership with Pacific Barista Series, on this very special episode.

Hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen fuel up before getting into it with the help of Klatch Coffees' Valentine's Day offering Aphrodite Nº 3 and the delightful Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane from DONA. The Aphrodite Nº 3, ground using MiiR's sturdy hand grinder and brewed up on the trusty Ceado Hoop Brewer, offers flavor notes fit for the season: subtle florals (elderflower, rose) and nuanced red berry. The Garden Lemongrass herbal tisane, part of DONA's incredible Tea Library collection, kept us grounded and soaring with unmistakable lemongrass goodness.

And one more thing... we need to talk about these coffee potato chips.

Seattle's Umami Kushi—famous for their okazu pan, delightful snacks, and delicious pop-ups—has been crafting artisan-level potato chips available to purchase at their shop. Umami Kushi teams up with Boon Boona Coffee Roasters for a coffee-forward (but not too forward) BBQ flavored potato chip that's well worth the trip to Rainier Beach.

The hosts crunch and munch on the chips, made with a carefully considered blend of spices and just the right about of coffee. The coffee says, "hey I'm here, I'm helping," instead of what it can sometimes do ("hey look at me look at me TASTE ME LOVE ME"). Zachary Carlsen goes out on a limb to say that this is one of the best coffee snacks he's ever had (and trust us, he's had a lot of coffee snacks). Jordan Michelman suggests the classic school lunchroom hack of adding them to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And guess what? We did.

Give Umami Kushi a follow on Instagram @umamikushi to learn more about their stunning potato chips and where to find them—and thank you, thank you to Umami Kushi for reaching out!

Perhaps the 18th Annual Sprudgie Awards will finally feature the category Best Coffee Food. We're looking at you, Umami Kushi, and we're also looking at any brownies with delicious coffee in it—and we're decidedly not looking at you, 2 Affogato.

Listen along to learn more about the 17th Annual Sprudgie Awards Presented by Pacific Barista Series, and a very special thank you to PBS for your continued support of this program—ensuring every nomination is free, every vote counted, and every alternative milk exquisite. ❤️

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and DONA.

In the year brew thousand… in the year brew thousaaaaand! The new year is upon us and, as such, there has never a more relevant time to look into the future. Fueled with pour-overs of Loyal Coffee's Mountain Melody Blend brewed using an appropriately futuristic brewer, Sprudgecast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen make their startling predictions for 2026.

Did someone say futuristic brewer? Yes, that's right. Live on the show, the hosts try out the Melitta Senz V, a high-tech pour-over brewing kit that pairs with the Wabilogic phone app. The brewer is loaded with sensors (two scales, temp probe, and TDS) that send data in realtime to the app—providing temperature, brew time information, and TDS measurements.

The TDS (total dissolved solids) data is sent to the app, giving the user an analysis that predicts the overall extraction level (strength) of the brew. On the device itself, it displays a simple interpretation of that data with nine built-in taste profiles (e.g. "strong", "acidic"). Measuring coffee's TDS using laboratory-grade refractometers have been part of professional specialty coffee toolkits for over a decade, and the Melitta Senz-V brings this useful technology to the casual home coffee brewer—especially to those who are experimenting with their brew water.

The coffee brewer has been "out there" since 2022, with availability really ramping up in 2025, and the app is connected to an active community of users sharing their data and even rating their roasted coffee's quality, offering a useful database of highly rated coffee roasters and brew recipes. For our Loyal Coffee Mountain Melody blend, we gave it five stars.

Predictions abound on the episode—but to find out what we really think you'll need to listen. Or read the transcript. You do you! It's 2026—we're just thirteen buttons in, 352 to go!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Baratza, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, and DONA.

We're ready for the World Flairista Championship on this special year-in-rebrew episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Podcast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen take the Flair 58+2 for a twirl with the La Prima Espresso Co. Buon Natale holiday blend. Jordan calls Zachary a "confirmed Flairista". Coffee podcast hosts can't live on espresso alone, so they slurped mightily upon a Ceado Hoop brew of New Orleans' own Brassline Coffee Roasters Session Blend.

To smooth out, Michelman rips into some "Honey, Honey" herbal tisane from the Dona Tea Library. To take it up a notch, he adds Coffee Blossom Honey (available in a 5 gallon bucket format) effectively making it a "Honey, Honey, Honey". "I'm giving my personal designation of Jordan's Product of the Year to the Dona Tea Library," declares Michelman.

Much is discussed on this episode—including a shout out to all of the Sprudgie Award Finalists. Vote now!

This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Breville, noissue, Ceado, Pacific Barista Series, La Marzocco, Ghirardelli, and DONA.