The 2026 US Coffee Championships season has officially concluded, though there still is one tiny issue left to be resolved and that is the 2026 World Barista Championship taking place later this year in October. So for everyone other than Proud Mary’s Jak Michael Ryan, who will be representing the US of A, the 2026 US coffee season is in the books.
And already folks are gearing up for 2027. There’s genuine excitement for what comes next at the US Coffee Championships. The formats for coffee competitions have been in flux since the heyday of the micro-regional-style Big Eastern/Western/etc events back in the early- to mid-2010s. There have been regionals, Qualifying Events, and more recently, gone straight to Nationals. And while little is known about the whens and wheres for the upcoming season, one piece of information has already leaked out: for a majority of the disciplines, the regional competition is coming back.
Announced via the US Coffee Championships Instagram account, four of the six events next year will feature a regional round of qualification. The competitions include the Barista Championship, Brewers Cup, Roasters Championship, and Cup Tasters. Latte Art and Coffee in Good Spirits will continue to go straight to the National level.
The return of regionals indicates a return in interest on both sides of the equation. There have to be those who want to compete, in greater numbers than can be satisfied by a single, national round. But there also has to be an appetite for someone to be putting it on; the latter half has been picked up by Roastronix, who will continue to organize the USCC in 2027. Without both of these, the competition cannot expand.
And for competitors, the expanded format offers a chance to test the waters. Newer competitors have a lower stakes environment to see which, if any, competition they are drawn to. All while travel is often less (and less expensive) and without compelling first-timers and the coffee company’s backing them to buy that dark-room natural Colombia Gesha. Sometimes you have to get your feet wet with a production coffee before you start breaking the bank. “This format is designed to create meaningful competitive pathways while ensuring each championship continues to provide the best possible experience for competitors, judges, volunteers, and the specialty coffee community,” the USCC states on their website.
Regionals also make competing in Nationals mean something. Not to be all back in my day about it, but there used to be a time when even making it to the USBC was an accomplishment unto itself. It wasn’t about being the first one to register on a website, the spots were earned. And that’s what we are getting back to, and I’m here for it.
Thus the 2027 US Coffee Championships season is already off to a hot start. Per the Instagram, “more information on qualifier dates, competition schedules, registration, and locations will be announced soon.” To stay up to date on all the announcements and changes coming our way for next season, follow @uscoffeechamps on Instagram.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
