BPS® Blog » Posts by Author: Kari Guddeck

Amidst weather reports of snow, wind, rain, and cold we landed in NYC ready to be warmed by another Coffee Fest New York City show.  Thursday night’s weather didn’t disappoint.  A blustery wind blew wet snow around us as we walked around Times Square, but it actually lent a surprisingly cozy and beautiful ambiance to the... Read More ⇒

Organic.  Natural.  Fair Trade.  Single Origin.  These are all buzzwords commonly heard in the specialty coffee industry.  Most of them evoke thoughts of high-quality coffee and products.  It’s not surprising then, that a syrup company decided to bank on a couple of those concepts and create a syrup line that... Read More ⇒

It’s New Year’s resolution time!  Ok, so resolutions are a bit overrated, and we all know that the success rate is un-inspiringly low.  However, if you’re still seeking inspiration for ways to improve upon last year, how about making a resolution to go greener with your business?  We can think of no better way to... Read More ⇒

I’ve been asking a lot of random people what they’re doing for New Year’s Eve this year (and polled our facebook friends), and the overwhelming response has been ‘staying in’.  That’s right; most people have told me they’ll be enjoying a quiet evening at home.  This article from AOL Daily Finance... Read More ⇒

 You may have noticed that our catalog has expanded as of late to include a variety of grab-n-go type items (Umpqua Oats, Earnest Eats bars, Tanka Bars buffalo jerky/sticks, Olomomo Nuts, Two Degrees bars, etc).  The Magic Buzz falls into this category too.  We dig the cool and friendly... Read More ⇒

We say it every year, and this year is no different.  Pumpkin flavored syrups, sauces, and Cruzin’ Caps are flying like bats off the shelf!  If you need a pumpkin fix, we’ve definitely got you covered.  Right now we’re totally digging on Torani Sauces, and especially the devilishly decadent combo of Pumpkin Pie and... Read More ⇒

Most folks know about our roots in baking, but some might not realize that the first product we sold (after our own baked goods) was Ghirardelli chocolate powder.  We’ll be celebrating our 19th year in business in 2013, and that equates to a lot of mochas, hot chocolates, etc that Ghirardelli has helped our customers create. Over the... Read More ⇒

There’s a new to-go lid in town, and we’re pretty excited about it.  I know what you’re thinking, “Um..it’s just a lid, what’s there to be excited about?”.  In all fairness, that was my original reaction when Jay handed me the FoamAroma lid at Coffee Fest Seattle last year and asked what... Read More ⇒

It all started in New York City.  Jon, Jay, and I were working hard at Coffee Fest and noticed the colorful, and quite lovely, little booth next to ours.  Candies wrapped in green, red, pink, and orange papers were overflowing from baskets and boxes and…well, they seemed to be everywhere.  During a break in the action at our... Read More ⇒

  One of our hot new brands, Earnest Eats, is flying off of the shelf!  Earnest Eats has seen quite an increase in popularity due to a lot of hard work and awesome showings at Coffee Fest New York (March) and the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s The Event in Portland (April).  Demand is high and increasing, so Earnest... Read More ⇒

We hosted two free latté art classes on Wednesday; the first of a series of free classes we will be offering.  We would like to send out a great big ‘THANK YOU’ to our sponsor Monin, to all of the attendees, and to our instructor Josh Taves of Northern Colorado Barista Training.  Thank you, thank you, thank you! Ever... Read More ⇒

It was great seeing so many people at our frozen drink fiesta on Wed!  Jared and Lani from Kerry (Jet/Caffe D’Amore/Da Vinci) were on hand to blend up the latest flavors from Jet and Caffe D’Amore.  We enjoyed Margaritas and Frozen Lemon Drops made from Jet’s new Margarita, Lite Margarita, and Arctic Lemonade... Read More ⇒

Coffee Fest New York is right around the corner (March 9-11, to be exact).  We haven’t exhibited at a show for six years, so we’re pretty excited about this one!  We’d love to meet you, so stop on by booth #343 if you're attending.  Make sure to enter to win a Nuova Simonelli Oscar espresso machine while you're... Read More ⇒

If you follow us on facebook or twitter or if you read this blog, then you’re probably aware that we are uber excited to be exhibiting at Coffee Fest New York this March.  BPS peeps attend Coffee Fest shows and SCAA events regularly, but it’s been six years since we’ve had a booth at a trade show (hence the excitement). ... Read More ⇒

Sipping on my afternoon cup of two leaves and a bud Assam (my current fave), I spy a blurb about January being National Hot Tea Month.I find the plethora of national something or other days/months kind of silly and amusing, but more often than not they’ll inspire a little blog entry, a facebook post, or a tweet.If nothing else, they serve as... Read More ⇒

Yesterday’s post definitely leaned toward the geeky, do-it-yourself end of mixology and cocktails.  I happen to really enjoy making stuff from scratch and experimenting with different recipes.  However, if you’re short on time and the mixing, making, experimenting with your own bitters/syrups isn’t really your thing;... Read More ⇒

Martinis and Manhattans and Old Fashioneds….oh my!  With New Year’s celebrations right around the corner, I decided to digress a bit from the usual coffee talk and slip in a little cocktail musing.  My travels (locally and nationally) this year have led me (and my hubby) into a new hobby…mixology.    It... Read More ⇒

It’s hard to go wrong hosting an event that focuses on chocolate.  Throw some wine/spirit and chocolate pairings in the mix and you’re pretty much golden.  Our presenters, Grant from Gourmet Source and Rick from Ghirardelli, were a wealth of chocolaty knowledge.  That’s right; we didn’t just eat chocolate and... Read More ⇒

I find it hard to believe that I’m writing about the start of ‘that time of year again’…but, I’m determined to shake the denial and embrace the season!  Let’s begin by expressing our deep gratitude for all of you.  We’re heading into our 18th year of business, and we’ve considered it a... Read More ⇒

Temps are pretty chilly and there’s snow on the ground in CO, but we’re always up for a new product tasting at BPS….even if it is a freezing cold drink.  We’ll keep the brand confidential, but we’ll fill you in on a few details:  we tasted a mango and strawberry smoothie, it is a pour over ice and blend... Read More ⇒

Saturday * This was a BPS meeting heavy day.  Jay, Jon, and I met for most of the day.  We walked over to the convention center to watch the sneak peak of CNBC’s new movie “The Coffee Addiction”.  I was astounded by the figure of 400 million cups of coffee are drank per day in the U.S.  I was also a little... Read More ⇒

  Yet another Coffee Fest Seattle has come and gone.  Seattle’s infamous fall weather kept us under umbrellas and fighting frizzy hair last year, but sunny skies and 80+ degree weather greeted attendees this year.  It was great weather to bum around the city, but maybe not so great for attendance numbers.  The show floor... Read More ⇒

  All hail the mighty little bean on National Coffee Day!  We know you feel it too….that love, and perhaps slight addiction, for one of the world’s most complex beverages (to call it a mere beverage seems almost sacrilege!).   To honor the day, we’re giving away a coffee inspired gift pack on our facebook... Read More ⇒

We’re fresh off of the second latté art class held in our Colorado Training Cafe, and we're excited!  The awesome crew from Turtle Rock in Laramie, WY joined us on Saturday to learn the basics of pouring latté art and strategize methods for implementing their newly honed skills in the café.  These... Read More ⇒

I’m psyched.  That probably deserved an exclamation point!  The Mid Atlantic North East (MANE) Artisan Coffee Conference, hosted by New Harvest Coffee Roasters, will be held Fri, Oct 7 – Sun, Oct 9.  If you saw me in the weeks following last year’s MANE event, you no doubt heard me talking about it.  I should... Read More ⇒

We’re psyched about our latest catalog addition.  Say hello to Umpqua Oats!!  Ok, so you’re wondering ‘why are you so psyched about oatmeal? Isn’t that kind of boring?’  Well, we’re here to tell you that this oatmeal is far from ordinary.  Umpqua Oats is an all natural oatmeal made with whole... Read More ⇒

Day 3. Thursday. Judging USBC, Pre Show Stroll, and Grasshopper Tacos My judging load was lighter on Thursday, so I was able to get on to the trade show floor before opening day on Friday.  I usually find that I have quality and less rushed conversations with friends, sales reps, etc. if I catch them the day before the show starts; before... Read More ⇒

Day 1, Tuesday.  Grapevine to Houston Last Tuesday, I began my ‘Lone Star State Trek’ in Grapevine at the Monin Studio Café.  Talk about a great introduction to Texas!  Jeff, Travis, and Alex were on hand to talk trends and whip some great drink creations in Monin’s jazzy little café (complete with... Read More ⇒

I’ve given quite a few warehouse tours of our Colorado warehouse lately.  It’s always a treat to take folks through who are in the beginning stages of opening a new café, kiosk, cart, etc.  As we walk through the door separating the offices from the warehouse, I usually turn around to find a look of overwhelmed awe with... Read More ⇒

If you’re a follower of the United States Barista Competition (or of this blog), then you’re probably aware of the restructuring that took place for the 2011 season.  Ten regions were combined down to 6 and entry fees for competitors were increased (from $50 to $150 BGA member, $195 SCAA member, or $300 non-member).  Although... Read More ⇒

  My head and stomach are still reeling from Coffee Fest Chicago.  I judged the North Central Regional Barista Competition that started on Fri and wrapped up Sun afternoon.  I’m proud to say that I was chosen to judge the finals again – hooray!  I know I’ve said it before, but I have to say again that I find... Read More ⇒

The North West Regional Barista Competition has come to a close with Samuel Purvis of Coava Coffee taking top honors, besting Ryan Wilbur of Stumptown Coffee Roasters by only .5 of a point!  Third place went to Laila Ghambari also of Stumptown .  Samuel took an interesting route with his presentation; he focused less on specific tasting... Read More ⇒

Well, we’ve made it to another regional barista competition final!  Congratulations and good luck to finalists:  Laila Ghambari, Robbie Britt, Ryan Wilbur, Sarah Dooley, Samuel Purvis, and Tyler Stevens.  I’m feeling especially excited today as well, because I was asked to judge the final (woot! woot!).  I’m... Read More ⇒

I’m judging the second half of today’s competition, so I’m taking some time to sit in the audience and experience the competition from the audience perspective.  As usual, day two is better attended than day one.  There are quite a few folks here!  Emcee Josh Boyt and former competitor Nick Cho are spending some... Read More ⇒

The first day of regional competitions is always fun.  New competitors and judges can barely contain their excitement and nervousness.  Being a ‘seasoned’ judge, it’s always good to remember those intense feelings and exactly how it felt being the newbie on the scene.  I still get a little adrenaline rush and a... Read More ⇒

It’s been a long, coffee filled day.  The NWRBC’s judge certification workshop began at 9am this morning, and there’s no time to ease yourself into the day.  After initial introductions, you’re given a long written exam covering the USBC rules and regulations.  Today’s test consisted of multiple choice,... Read More ⇒

I will be heading to the Seattle tomorrow to attend and judge (assuming that I pass the judge certification test on Thurs) the North West Regional Barista Competition (NWRBC).  The competition is the first of the 2011 season, and I for one, am psyched to get this thing started!  Dillano’s is hosting this year’s NWRBC at the... Read More ⇒