US Brewers Cup and Cup Tasters Head to Raleigh's Black & White HQ
Two national coffee championships converge on Raleigh this month. The US Brewers Cup and US Cup Tasters both run March 26-29 at Black & White Coffee Roasters’ headquarters — a venue that carries its own championship pedigree.
Black & White was founded in 2017 by Kyle Ramage and Lem Butler, the 2017 and 2016 US Barista Champions, respectively. The two planned the company while competing at the World Barista Championship in Dublin and built it around making competition-grade coffees accessible beyond the stage.
Now their headquarters hosts the competitors chasing similar titles.
Two Championships, One Venue
The Brewers Cup tests manual brewing mastery. Twenty-four competitors will present their best single-cup extractions to judges, demonstrating control over variables like grind, water temperature, and pour technique. Six spots are reserved for 2025 finalists; the remaining positions filled through open registration.
Cup Tasters runs a different challenge entirely. Competitors face timed triangulation rounds — three cups, two identical, one different. Speed and palate accuracy determine who advances. The 2026 field holds 48 spots, with three reserved for 2025 finalists.
Both competitions happen simultaneously at the Black & White facility in Wake Forest, about 20 minutes north of downtown Raleigh. The headquarters serves as both a production roastery and event space, trading convention hall anonymity for the energy of working coffee operations.
A Venue with Championship DNA
Black & White has carved out a particular reputation in specialty coffee. The roastery focuses on single-origin lots and co-fermented coffees, organizing offerings by processing method and flavour profile rather than traditional categories. Their approach — clarity-driven roasting that preserves origin character — aligns with competition priorities.
The company’s trajectory mirrors broader shifts in American specialty coffee. What started as two champions building something outside the cafe-and-roastery model has evolved through growth, partnerships, and last year’s addition to the FairWave Specialty Coffee Collective. Ramage remains as operator.
The venue isn’t new to major events. Black & White hosted the 2025 US Barista Championship that crowned Kay Cheon of Dune Coffee Roasters. This March, the headquarters adds two more championships to its hosting record.
Registration and Format
Registration opened February 2 through Eventbrite. Competitors and volunteers signed up ahead of an online learning session held on February 18. Recordings are available for those who missed the live session.
The competition format follows SCA standards. Brewers Cup entries are evaluated on brewing technique and cup quality. Cup Tasters scoring emphasises speed alongside accuracy — every wrong answer costs points, but dawdling costs placement.
Both events feed into world championships. The US Brewers Cup winner advances to the World Brewers Cup, currently confirmed for October in Panama City alongside the World Barista Championship.
The 2026 Championship Calendar
The Raleigh events fill a March slot in a championship season that’s already well underway. The US Roasters Championship concluded this weekend in Houston. World of Coffee San Diego arrives April 10-12, bringing the World Latte Art Championship and rebranding what was previously called Specialty Coffee Expo.
The Denver-hosted US Barista Championship follows in June, completing the major domestic competitive circuit.
For competitors in Raleigh, the focus is narrower: 72 people across two disciplines, all converging on a roastery that two former champions built for coffee like this.