MadCap Coffee Company | Experience Coffee

USBC MadCap Recap

The 2012 United States Barista competition season came to a triumphant close in Portland, Oregon April 19-22nd in conjunction with the SCAA Exposition. After the close of all six Regional Barista Competitions, we had a strong contingent of competitors in the Barista Championship as well as the as the US Brewers Cup. Alongside a full week of competition, we had a very busy week of polishing glassware, coffee brewing, meetings, classes, tests and general merriment and mayhem.

Portland lived up to its reputation as a beautiful, emerald-green city full of kind people, and home to an impressive coffee scene, as well as a great craft cocktail and beer scene and some delicious food. Throughout most of the week, the jagged mountains dominating the skyline around the city were covered in low-lying mist and gray clouds. Rivers cut through the middle of downtown Portland in several places, and the clanging bells of light-rail ring through the dense, wet air.

We started the week two days before the USBC, with three of our baristas brewing up coffee in french press and chemex at the SCAA Symposium, giving attendees the chance to sample the same coffee brewed via two different methods.

Then, on Thursday, the competition began. As usual Madcap brought the heat. Three Madcap baristas — Trevor, Courtney and Ryan — advanced into the Top 18 Semi-Final round of the USBC — the elite squad comprised of some of the most talented baristas in the country. We also had Colin and Miranda make a strong showing the US Brewers Cup, brewing up some seriously delicious Burundi Kiriyama.

Trevor also spent time administering Barista Guild of America Level One tests, while Colin (our first official DC employee) managed the BGA Cafe, and helped teach a latte art and introduction to espresso courses.

The crew also got cozy with several of the people responsible for growing some of our coffee in Guatemala and El Salvador over a delicious family-style dinner and rubbed elbows with many of our favorite coffee folks over the course of several parties held at the Spirit of 77 bar nearby the convention center.

Towards the end of the weekend, the sun suddenly emerged and Portland looked even more beautiful. We were sorry to leave, but filled with excitement and energy from the interactions we had that week and already looking forward to carrying that back into our daily interactions.

We’re very proud of all our baristas who put forth the effort to represent Madcap in regional and national barista competitions this year. Trevor, Ryan, Stacey, Courtney, Miranda, Andrea, Colin: Well done!

We look forward to what the 2013 competition season may bring. In the meantime, we turning our enthusiasm towards the return of several delicious coffees and serving our smiling customers.

Photos contributed by Trevor Corlett, Liz Clayton, and Park Brennan

The MadCap Gentlemen at Symposium.

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Elefante Early Release!

On Monday May 14th, we will be roasting 25 pounds of Elefante! Purchase it online here!

This is the same coffee variety Ryan used to become the First Place winner in this year’s North Central Regional Barista Championship. Elefante comes from neighboring farms San Jose and La Lagunitas, both owned by Gloria Rodriguez, who was MADCAP’s partner in the Varietal Series.

The Elefante is a rare and unknown variety grown on a totally unique coffee tree that was discovered on Gloria’s farm just over three years ago. Last year marked the first time this coffee was exported, with MADCAP being the only North American recipient. The cherries are large and nearly twice the density of the Bourbon cherries found in the region. When a ripe Elefante cherry is picked and squeezed between your fingers, it consistently produces over ten drops of juice, nearly ten times the juiciness of other coffee varieties.

One of the first coffees ever purchased at Madcap was in 2008 from El Porvenir, a Cup of Excellence winning coffee produced by Gloria. Gloria is a third-generation coffee farmer who everyone loves, running a very tight quality- and ethics-focused business with her daughter Majo and son-in-law Luis Rodriguez. Their innovation in growing, harvesting, processing and separating, paired with their commitment to partnering with like-minded roasters, has given opportunity to some of the most amazing coffees we’ve come across.

This particular selection was dried just 2 months ago and airmailed to the US, making it an incredibly fresh coffee. Expect a big body, intense floral notes, juiciness throughout, and an incredibly complex cup. This coffee is available pre-sale on a first come first serve basis. When we are out, we are out. The coffee will be roasted and shipped on May 14th (or available for pick-up from Grand Rapids retail location on 5/15).

Weight: 10oz

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MadCap & TEDxGrandRapids

We’re pleased to announce a project that’s been in the works for some time. This Thursday, Madcap will be proudly providing beans for a coffee service at TEDx Grand Rapids, an independently organized TED event bringing together twelve brilliant minds to share their ideas.

To help sustain attendees throughout a long and information packed day we’ve organized a collaboration of baristas (a collective effort very much, we think, in the spirit of TED) from shops around Michigan – as well as Chicago and Washington, DC – to serve coffee at four different bars at the event. This cadre of baristas will be brewing Madcap’s Gishamwana, Rwanda; San Sebastian, Colombia; and Las Aguas Altas, Guatemala – a cross-section of our current offerings that we’re very excited about.

Three of the coffee bars will be hand brewing pour-over coffee for TED attendees, but, at the fourth bar, we’re turning the counter around and offering an interactive coffee experience where the curious minded can explore coffee brewing. Attendees will have the chance to get their hands dirty and learn the basics of a variety of brew methods, including espresso, from members of our barista team.

We’ve been fans of TED for a number of years now, so it’s with a great deal of pride that we take part in this Grand Rapids event. Thanks for having us TED, we’re stoked to share our passion and brew up some fabulous coffee to keep you focused for a long day of pondering ideas and meeting new and fascinating people.

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