Blogs

Camber’s newly opened cafe in downtown Bellingham is nothing short of elegance. Last night we partnered with them to throw down using Oatly Milk. Baristas traveled from all over northern Washington to hang out, compete and win. Before the Latte Art Throwdown began, the floor was open to anyone to compete to win a Bonavita […]

Olympia Coffee never disappoints. Every latte art event we host with Oly Coffee is one for the books and last night was no different. Their flagship store was packed. However, there was a little spin on last nights event. Halloween is just around the corner which obviously means costume contest! Behind the espresso bar was […]

2017 TNTNW kicked off last night at Anchorhead Coffee’s new flagship shop. Baristas arrived early to secure spots in the 32 person bracket which filled up in minutes. Baristas and coffee professionals chilled in the cool, low-lit vibes and swanky furniture as everyone waited for first round pours to begin at 7 pm. Attendees chowed down […]

We all love our Mahlkonig EK43 grinders, right? One of the most consistent grinders on the market, which means they get a lot of daily use. If you have one in your cafe then you know it can require a bit of maintenance. Shear plates break often and the day won’t run as smoothly with […]

Baristas braved the foot of snow and ice paving the streets of Portland to get to last nights TNT at Portland Roasting. Competitors went head to head on dueling Nuova Simonelli espresso machines in Portland Roasting’s training lab, while curious audience members surrounded the judges table and overflowed into the cafe to watch the Facebook live […]

This is the first of a few posts we are sharing from the official Hiroshi Sawada blog! http://blog.pakila.jp/hiroshisawada/comment/?entry_id=9164

Upper Left Coffee Roasters opened their doors last night to throw down. Baristas and coffee professionals came from all over the Portland area to hang out and sling some latte art. We like to keep it 90’s in Portland and the snacks reflected the theme. We all munched on gushers, fruit by the foot, teddy grams, and […]

  Tucked in a developing neighborhood in Spokane Washington is the original Indaba Coffee. We flew into town to hang out with them and sling some latte art with the local Barista community. Baristas traveled from the surrounding Eastern Washington and Idaho area to come compete. Beer, Pizza, and live acoustic music set the mood. […]

Hoppers are under appreciated and they hold one of your most valuable assets – your espresso beans! That’s why, the moment we saw Torr Toys glass hoppers, we had to share them with the world.     The beauty and craftsmanship of Torr Toys are unsurpassed! Not only are glass hoppers easy to clean, chemically neutral […]

Thump not trump… don’t get it confused. This coffee shop sits in the heart of downtown Bend, OR. Thump coffee has a unique vibe and serves great coffee along with special house made syrups. Next time you visit Bend be sure they on your coffee crawl list! Baristas traveled from all over Oregon to compete […]

Families, community members, and baristas gathered for TNTNW at Batdorf and Bronson’s Dancing Goats in Olympia, Washington. The Cafe sits blocks away from the Puget Sound and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Between sign-ups and first pour, we drank Whitewood Cider, enjoyed Italian appetizers from Mercato and thanks to Modbar, had Affogatos outside in the summer […]

Compass Coffee Roasters, originally from Vancouver, WA, recently opened up a third location in the North Portland. Baristas piled into the cafe and surrounded an oval shaped bar in the center, outfitted with a copper mod bar. Mike, the owner of Compass Coffee pulled shots for each competitor. Baristas were given pitchers full of milk […]

Vintage Custom Motorcycles and good times in Bend Oregon! Last week we were stoked to trek back to Bend Oregon for another round of TNTNW! Hosted by Spoken Moto and Megaphone Coffee Co., this throwdown had all the makings of an epic party! Spoken Moto seems to have become the hub of motorcycle culture in […]

Earlier this year we had the pleasure to introduce Alcorn Cafè Engineering and the highly sought after ACE Shear Plate Kit to our exclusive offering of highly engineered parts accessories! As promised we’ve continued to expand the offerings to make customizing your own equipment easier than ever. The latest innovation from ACE promises to be a […]

Brand spanking new in Tacoma, Washington is the latest Curb Location. Originally based in Hawaii, the specialty coffee shop opened their doors early January. We partnered with them to host March’s TNTNW last night. Candy, Fruit snacks, Pizza, and Beer fueled baristas as they went head to head, bracket style until one winner was reached. Judges from Blue […]

For the first time, we made the trip down to Eugene, OR to host a Thursday Night Throwdown Northwest. The Barn Light  opened up their east location to baristas from all over Southern Oregon to come compete. The Barn Light’s strength is not just in their coffee, but in their perfect combination of cool late night […]

Baristas slayed last night at Gauge Design Group. Slayer Espresso pulled out the big guns and set up their latest espresso machine, the steam, in the middle of the competition floor. Surrounded by spot lights, baristas went head to head and got their hands dirty pouring lattes with the new machine. Sign ups began at […]

Don’t underestimate your coffee equipment… They may look pretty and make great coffee, but they are also functional. Immersion brew methods, specifically, make the best winter cocktails due to their excellent method of infusion. This New Years Eve, go from barista to Mixologist with these Yama Glass gear coffee cocktails.     French Press Apple Peel […]

Rust Coffee got all dressed up for Halloween at last nights #TNTNW. With plenty of food and drinks to go around, Portland Baristas competed for top tier prizes. Shout out to all of our rad sponsors for last night’s event, Barista Magazine, Acaia coffee scale, Baratza, Fresh Cup Magazine, Imbibe Magazine, Roast Magazine, Yama Glass and Kalita! Massive […]

Thursday Night Throwdown Northwest went back to school for September’s competition. Schoolhouse Coffee will give you flashbacks to elementary the moment you walk in. Inside of their adorable school house built with a bell tower and a convenient drive threw window is their La Marzocco Strada. 16 competitors went head to head on that espresso machine while spectators […]

You’ve probably never thought of it and honestly, it’s all new to us, too. But Oysters are a lot like coffee. Earlier this week, we took a trip over to our friends at Hama Hama Oyster Farm to do a little digging into the idea… As coffee professionals we invest a lot of time and […]

Things kicked off with a bang last night as cold brew coffee old fashions were served during Roast House‘s latte art competition sign ups. Barista’s came from Idaho and Washington to meet in one place and show their skills. Roast House did things a little differently. 16 Barista’s competed bracket style and as each competitor […]

Tucked away in downtown Portland between leather crafters and comic book junkies is sneaker-head coffee shop, Deadstock coffee. It’s a unique blend of design, style and taste. Deadstock did it big with a team of brands and local hot spots. Orox Leather was hanging out showing off their gear. Floating world comics held a sidewalk sale. […]

East of Spokane, across the Washington border of Idaho is DOMA Coffee Roasting Company. An unexpected gem off of the highway full of funky creative graphics, letterpress machines and of course… coffee! Baristas and coffee professionals from Oregon, Washington, and even some Midwesterners gathered to hang out, have a drink and pour steamed milk into gorgeous […]

Up where Amazon employees run the streets during the day, Seattle’s South Lake Union, Baristas gathered last night to throw it down at Caffe Ladro. Cafe Ladro got creative with their throw down, taking polaroids of each contestant as they signed up to create a photo bracket. And, they set up a projector with a live viewing […]

Thursday Night Throwdown North West at Olympia Coffee Roasters. We were pumped to have a TNNW in our hometown with our good friends Olympia Coffee Roasting Company. Their downtown location and roastery was the perfect place to throw down. Barista’s traveled from Seattle and Portland to meet in Olympia WA. The space was full… and it’s […]

To kick off Royal Drummer’s grand opening, Seattle baristas gathered to show their skills at the new coffee shop in Ballard. Everyone was packed around the wrap around bar as Rowan, a competing barista, handed out endless beer. Pilsner or IPA? At the other end of the bar was Royal Drummers Synesso MVP Hydra in royal blue […]

The location, Union Coffee, nestled half way between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC the sleepy town of Bellingham  sits as a delicious coffee oasis between its metropolitan neighbors. Even the spring rain showers couldn’t keep this raucous crowd or the EP crew away. With DJ Dishpit (Ben Libay) spinning everyone’s favorite jams and baristas hailing […]

Just south of Seattle rests the “up and coming” town of Tacoma. Home to Bluebeard Coffee, a coffee shop and roastery. Their cafe is spacious and attendees were able to hang outside or in with their large garage door open. DJ Elliot Lipp lay’n down vinyls as attendees drank a Pacific Brewing and Malting Company […]

Tucked in between the snowy peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range in Central Oregon, Bend shines like a coffee beacon to all who dare to brave the pass. 65 degrees and beautiful sunny weather greeted the EP crew as we twisted and turned our way into town. With the garage door flung open, fire pit blazing, […]