The 2026 US Barista Champion Has Been Named

by

Editorial Policy

Published on

✉️ This story was featured in this week’s Coffee News Club
👋 Get the Coffee News Club newsletter in your inbox weekly—sign up.

The United States Barista Championship took place last weekend in Denver, Colorado. Thirty baristas from all around the country converged on Denver’s Huckleberry Roasters headquarters for several days of spirited coffee competition. It was a stacked lineup: Eight of the competitors had competed in previous finals, and three were former US Coffee Champions.

In the end, as Sprudge reports, Jak Michael Ryan of the Austin, Texas-based Proud Mary Coffee took the top spot. Ryan will go on to represent the U.S. at the World Barista Championship during World of Coffee Panama in October. Jason Yeo of San Francisco’s Saint Frank Coffee came second, while Ziah Bloom of Lamppost Coffee, also based in Austin, placed third.

In Panama City, Ryan will compete against Monogram Coffee’s Jill Hoff, among other contestants. Hoff recently won the Canadian Barista Championship, which took place at Monogram’s roastery in Calgary, Alberta. Congratulations to Ryan and Hoff, to all the finalists, and to everyone who competed! 

Read the full story on the US Barista Championship here.

Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash

Share This Article
Avatar photo

Fionn Pooler

Fionn Pooler is a coffee roaster and freelance writer currently based in the Scottish Highlands who has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over a decade. Since 2016 he has written the Pourover, a newsletter and blog that uses interviews and critical analysis to explore coffee’s place in the wider, changing world (and also yell at corporations).

Join 12,500+ coffee leaders and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Other Articles You May Like

International Coffee Day is Official, No Thanks to the U.S.

Mark your calendars: International Coffee Day has been recognized by the United Nations.
by Fionn Pooler | October 6, 2026

SCA Creates $1 Million Fellowship for Coffee Science at UC Davis

The Specialty Coffee Association has donated $1 million to UC Davis to fund graduate-level coffee research through a new endowed fellowship.
by Fionn Pooler | October 1, 2026

Cafe Imports Transitions to 100% Employee Ownership

Cafe Imports is now 100% employee owned via an ESOP, as other green coffee traders face bankruptcy or acquisition.
by Fionn Pooler | September 30, 2026

New NCA Report Shows Specialty Coffee Consumption Keeps Going Up

The latest National Coffee Data Trends report shows how specialty coffee preferences and ordering behaviors are changing in 2026.
by Fionn Pooler | September 22, 2026