Every year brings interesting, exciting developments in the coffee world—2014 saw espresso tonic, kegs of coldbrew, new festivals, a coffee cocktail bar, and even marijuana coffee. For its part, 2015 is already promising to be no exception. Here are three coffee developments to look forward to this year!
1) Cat cafés – The first permanent cat café in the United States opened in Oakland in October, after several pop-up versions of the Taiwanese phenomenon proved fantastic successes in other U.S. cities. New York was only a couple months behind, Portland’s Purringtons opened on January 24, and Seattle’s Meowtropolitan is coming soon (and even sooner, hosting a pop-up version this weekend).
2) Year Two of “The Event” – For the first time ever, the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s annual “Event” is a two-year series, based in Seattle for its inaugural back-to-back iteration. Last year’s convocation drew thousands of coffee professionals from around the world to the Washington State Convention Center, and this year should be no different—better, even, as exhibitors look to bring more wow factor to the same space. The Event will also incorporate the World Barista Championship, the first time since 2009 that the two have been held in conjunction.
3) Cup & Bar – It’s a coffee-chocolate tasting room from the power duo of Trailhead Coffee Roasters and Ranger Coffee Company, and it’s coming to Portland this month (in case cats aren’t your thing). It’s surprising that it took this long for someone to make good on the perfect combo, but we can’t wait to visit. The project brings on-site production facilities together with beer, wine, light fare and of course plenty of coffee and chocolate in a renovated 1922 warehouse on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
