Buy the Drip - Coffee and Business

Finca Nuguo is fresh off of winning the 2026 World Brewers Cup Championship by Nas Jaafar of MalaysiaPocho Gallardo has a cult following for the way he meticulously produces his globally celebrated Panama Geisha - winning the Best of Panama and numerous global competitions, many times over. Listen as Cole and Pocho sit down under the coffee trees at Nuguo and talk about the journey, the dedication...

Celebrated for their incredible coffees around the World, Janson Coffee is one of the most sought after brands producing Panama Geisha. Kai spends months of the year traveling to far corners for exhibitions, special events and to work with roasters, baristas and competitors. One of the leaders in collaboration and innovation when it comes to the approach for coffeeOne of two coffees from Panama th...

One of the most fascinating visions for coffee production, Franz Zeimetz is taking a different approach to Panamanian coffee production, trucking coffee cherry in refrigerated transport from Chiriqui in Western Panama to Panama City 6 hours away. A celebrated brewer in the world of craft beer in Panama, Franz found himself fascinated by coffee and decided to expand his horizons by taking his beer...

In this episode, we sit down with Wilford Lamastus, a founding member of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama (celebrating it's 30th year this year) and many many time winner of the Best of Panama competition Wilford is known around the world as being amongst the best Geisha producers, with presence of his coffee in markets all around the globe. Constantly pushing elevation and innovatio...

Since 1945 coffee has been grown and cultivated at Bambito Estate. Four generations of coffee production and living off the land. One of the most beautiful family coffee operations in Panama, with some incredible accolades in the Best of Panama to show for it. Bambito Estate is a coffee celebrated around the world and one that goes far beyond the cup. Cole lives in Panama full time and curates a s...

In this episode, we sit down with Jamison Savage, one of the most influential figures in modern specialty coffee - the founder of Savage Coffee and the visionary behind Finca Deborah and Iris Estate in Volcan, Panama. Jamison has helped redefine what is possible in coffee production through experimentation, precision, and relentless pursuit of quality. The most celebrated and decorated coffee prod...

One of the top minds and contributors to Panamanian coffee is Roger Pitti, the general manager of Altieri Coffee , National Judge and the treasurer of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama. In this conversation we walk through the task of operating a top-in-the-world coffee farm, with a full integrated model that includes a roastery, coffee shop and one of the most gorgeous views you'll e...

Victoria Koyner is the fourth generation of Kotowa Farms , which started in 1913 by Alexander Duncan MacIntyre, a Canadian who had found his way to the tropical landscapes of Boquete, Panama. Kotowa focuses on producing some of the best Geisha you'll ever taste, over a wide portfolio of coffee farms as well as other specialty agricultural products, such as cacao and tea. Victoria did her studi...

One of the first conversations we had in the Panama Producer series, Graciano and Cole go into a deep discussion of terroir, topography and the beauty of Panama. Are you interested in accessing Graciano Geisha and other specialty coffee Varietals? Cole lives in Panama full time and curates a selection of top Panama Geisha and Varietals, from Graciano and Panamanian producers you see in these video...

Cole sits down with Karin de la Rosa, the visionary coffee producer at the helm of Mount Totumas . The Geisha from Mount Totumas has been used to win the World Brewers Cup Championship , the Best of Panama and numerous top awards in the Best of Panama. In this conversation, you'll hear the story of how Karin fell into the World of coffee and quickly became a globally renowned coffee producer....

Cole sits down with Daniel Peterson to pull back the curtain on a legacy that redefined specialty coffee. In a historic turn of events, Hacienda La Esmeralda accomplished what many thought impossible: a clean sweep of the podium at the 2025 Best of Panama , taking first place in the Geisha Washed, Geisha Natural, and Varietal categories. This conversation goes far beyond the awards. Daniel recount...

The Reality of Coffee Media, Competitions, and the Industry | Kirk Pearson Coffee competitions, coffee media, and the online coffee world often look polished from the outside. But behind the scenes, the reality is far more complicated. In this episode of Buy The Drip , we sit down with Kirk Pearson to talk about the evolution of specialty coffee media, the role competitions play in shaping the ind...

Coffee competitions are what the industry sees. The lights. The routines. The trophies. But the real work happens long before anyone steps on stage. In this episode, Cole sits down with Andrea Tan the first Singapore Brewers Cup Champion, green coffee buyer, judge, and World Coffee Events Representative. They unpack what it actually takes to run fair, meaningful competitions around the world. Andr...

Most of us obsess over beans, brew methods, and grinders… but ignore the one thing that actually touches our lips. The cup. In this episode, we sit down with Johnny Loh, the engineer and founder behind ICOSA Brewhouse, to talk about how vessel design can completely change the way coffee tastes. Johnny didn’t start in coffee. In fact, he didn’t even drink it when he began designing cups. His backgr...

We sit down with the two-time Filipino National Barista Champion and the mind behind the Better Vessel. Michael’s journey started in his family’s rope business and evolved into building one of the Philippines’ most respected coffee operations, working with brands like McDonald’s and 7-Eleven along the way. We talk about the risk that changed everything.... importing just two containers of coffee w...

We sit down with 2024 World Barista Champion Mikael Jasin and writer Tigger Chaturabul to talk about Mikael’s first book, Bloom . The conversation covers how the book came together, why Mikael chose to tell his story now, and what it was like working with a writer to put years of competition, pressure, and personal growth into words. They talk openly about burnout, expectations, money, food, and w...

Water is the foundation of coffee, but what if it could be optimized far beyond minerals and filtration? In this episode, we sit down with Gary, the founder of Waved, a technology originally developed for the marine industry that is now being used in specialty coffee cafes, processing experiments at origin, and on the World Barista Championship stage. Gary breaks down how ultra low frequency elect...

In this episode, Dave sits down with Matt Crowley ! One of the most respected minds in specialty coffee to unpack a career that spans barista work, roasting, green coffee buying, and coaching World Barista Champions. Matt shares his full origin story, from hating coffee as a teenager to becoming a head roaster and green buyer at one of Australia’s most influential specialty coffee companies . Alon...

In this episode, we sit down with Jack Simpson , the 2025 World Barista Champion! We explore the full journey behind his rise to the top of competitive coffee. Jack talks about how he first got into specialty coffee, the moment he left his carpentry apprenticeship to chase a new passion, and the long/sometimes difficult road that eventually brought him to the WBC stage. We get into what changed fo...

Dave and Cole finally catching up after one of the wildest WBC seasons we’ve ever been part of. We break down our six-week training camp in Japan, what it was like coaching Hiroki Ito toward the 2025 World Barista Championship and all the chaos along the way.... language barriers, roasting puzzles, gear challenges, and even a hospital scare just days before the finals in Milan. We also talk about...

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Put seven-time Canadian Barista Champion and co-founder of Monogram Coffee , to talk about what it really takes to stay at the top of the game for more than 15 years. We go back to the beginning...when Ben first discovered coffee through a newspaper article on latte art, long before competition stages and national titles. From those early experiments to buildi...

Cole sits down with Tamiru Tadesse founder of Alo Coffee , to trace his remarkable path from studying electrical engineering to becoming one of Ethiopia’s most influential coffee producers. Tamiru recently made global headlines by hosting Alo Coffee’s first-ever auction , where he shattered records with a historic $1,739 per kilo sale and an average price of $625 per kilo setting a new benchmark f...

we sit down with Juan Diaz — Director of Nowhere Coffee based in Medellín, Colombia to unpack his incredible journey into the world of specialty coffee. Juan went from being a nursing student and line cook in Gainesville, Florida, to building a global coffee sourcing network that connects roasters, producers, and baristas across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. We dive into... ☕ How a chance encounter...

Today on Buy The Drip, we sit down with Pete Licata , 2013 World Barista Champion, consultant, and now co-founder of Caffeine Control Coffee . Pete’s story is one of reinvention. We explore how winning the World Barista Championship catapulted him into the global coffee spotlight, reshaping his career and opening doors into consulting, entrepreneurship, and now innovation. His latest project, Caff...

What does it really take to bring the world’s best coffee from farm to cup? In this episode, Cole Torode shares his experience living and working in Panama for six months... cupping over 2,000 coffees, navigating government red tape, and seeing firsthand the struggles and triumphs of coffee producers. From the challenges of sourcing rare geishas, to why the global market still undervalues specialt...