The 2027 US Coffee Championships season is officially underway with the first qualifying event for the US Roasters Championship. Taking place over the weekend at the Roastronix HQ, 23 roasters headed to Houston, Texas to take part in the South/Eastern regional, including former champion Steve Cuevas, former runner-up Kimhak Em, and former Cup Tasters Finalist Helen Choi.
Stacked as the field may be, competitors were vying over just nine available spots in the 2027 US Roasters Championship later this December in Hawaii. There they will be joined by the other nine top finishers from the second qualifying round at the end of the month in Washington.
But that’s still a ways away, so let find out who made it through the first regional for the 2027 US Roasters Championship, shall we?
Michael Matthews, Alinea Coffee Roasters
Luke Jung, Ghost Roasters
Carlos Riaño, Merit Coffee Company
Christopher Owens, Greenway Coffee Company
Sean Jones, Lamppost Coffee
Aaron Zhao, Communal Space
Zachary Steele, Talavera Coffee
Kevin Seehousz, Stamp Act Coffee
Steve Cuevas, Freelance Coffee Project/Cafe Casa Libre
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Photos via US Coffee Championships on Instagram
