Everything you need to know about the best parties of Coffee Fest Portland!
We’re super excited about Coffee Fest Portland, which kicks off on Friday, October 23, and continues through October 25, at the Oregon Convention Center. This great show for retailers landed in Portland, Ore., last year, too, and it was awesome. But the event coming up this weekend is set to be even bigger and better: All booths on the show floor are sold out, thousands of coffee pros are headed to the Pacific Northwest from across the United States and around the world, the always fun and ultra-competitive Latte Art Championship is set to be one of the toughest and more exciting yet, and have we mentioned the parties? THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME AMAZING PARTIES!
(And psst! The one Barista Mag is co-hosting with Coava Coffee Roasters on Friday, and the one we’re co-hosting with Water Avenue Coffee on Saturday, are gonna be the best of the best! Just sayin!)
The show might start on Friday, but the parties begin tonight, so we’re giving you a run-down of the best ones to hit over the next 4 nights in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
Stump the Roaster, hosted by Café Imports, with Roast Magazine and Rogue Brewery
¢ A focused conversation about roasting, emceed by Café Imports’ Joe Marrocco, with round table guests Paul Thornton of Farmer Bros. and Coffee Bean International; Robert Hoos of Nossa Familia; Christine Herman of Case Study Coffee; and Nathanael May of Portland Roasting Coffee.
¢ Ping Pong to follow discussion at afterparty across the street at 8:30 p.m.!
Location: Green Dragon Pub, 928 SE 9th Ave. (Stump the Roaster); Pips and Bounce, 833 SE Belmont St. (afterparty)
Time: 6:30 “8:30 p.m. (Stump the Roaster); 8:30 p.m. (afterparty)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22
Thursday Night Throwdown Northwest (TNTNW), hosted by Sisters Coffee Co., and event organizer Espresso Parts
¢ $10 buy in ” ”32 competitor bracket = $320 cash prize!!
¢ Sign-ups start at 7 p.m.; pouring starts at 8 p.m.
¢ Beer from Bridgeport Brewing Co.
¢ Pizza courtesy of La Marzocco
¢ Sponsors: Barista Magazine, Baratza, Acaia Coffee Scale, Imbibe Magazine
¢ PRIZES: Yama Glass Brew Pot; Acaia Coffee Scale PEARL; Baratza T-shirts; Espresso Parts gear; Barista Magazine subscription; Imbibe Magazine subscription; Cafe Imports Dinner Certificate in PDX; Roast Magazine goodies; Specialty Coffee Association of America swag
Location: Sisters Coffee Co., 1235 NW Marshall St.
Time: 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23
Coava Coffee + Barista Magazine Party
¢ Know Your Pour Latte Art Throwdown ”here’s how to play: You can get registered right now on social media by tagging a photo of one of your pours #knowyourpour. You can also register onsite at 7 p.m. There will be 32 spots available in total, cash buy-in. Throwdown starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp!
¢ Cash buy in is $10. 1st gets $215, plus a copy of James Hoffmann’s “World Atlas of Coffee,” and swag from Coava and Barista Mag; 2nd gets $70, 3rd gets $35
¢ Beer from Gigantic and 2 cocktails each provided by Merit Badge
¢ BUNK Sandwiches truck
¢ DJ dance party
Location: 1300 Grand Ave.
Time: 7 “10 p.m. (latte art); 10 p.m. to midnight (DJ)
Happy Hour at Case Study Coffee
¢ Showcasing new MVP Technology by Synesso
¢ MVP cocktails
¢ Cool prizes
¢ With support from Espresso Parts
Location: 802 SW 10th Ave.
Time: 5 “9 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Cup & Bar Presents Slayer Throwdown
¢ Throwdown for cash (A $1,500 cash prize pool awaits the winners of our 48-competitor bracket, with $1,000 cash guaranteed for first place)
¢ Throwdown judges: Jesse Harriott, Copper Horse Coffee (Ithaca, NY); Bethany Hargrove, Barista (Portland, OR); Joe Marrocco, Cafe Imports (Minneapolis, MN). Emcees: Patrick Burns, Palace Coffee Company (Canyon, TX) and Michael “Panda” Fernandez, Visions Espresso (Seattle, WA)
¢ Sponsors: Trailhead Coffee Roasters, Ranger Chocolate Company, Base Camp Brewing Company, Clive Coffee, and Slayer Espresso
¢ Food trucks (cash)
¢ Limited-edition shirts also available for $20. Just 50 in production for this event only. Designed by Jason Waid of Double Yoo Creative
Location: 118 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Time: 7 p.m.
Water Ave. Coffee, Barista Magazine, and the American Barista & Coffee School Present: Coffee People Social Club
¢ Sponsored by PACIFIC FOODS, NUOVA SIMONELLI, BARISTA TWENTY-TWO
¢ With support from Java Jacket and Espresso Parts
¢ Held at the spectacular White Owl Social Club, with giant patio and fire pit
¢ Oregon Craft Beer
¢ Funky Photo Booth
¢ Sizzle Pie Pizza
¢ Portland’s DJ Lindsay Bailey
¢ Ride vouchers provided by UBER
¢ Supporting the Oregon Coffee Board
Location: 1345 SE 7th Ave.
Time: 8 p.m. til late
