Lakewood · United States
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters roasts in Lakewood, Colorado.
Since 2013 · Andy Sprenger, Laurel Sprenger
Overview
Andy Sprenger and his wife Laurel founded Sweet Bloom in December 2013 in Lakewood, the Denver suburb where Andy grew up; the flagship cafe opened in January 2014. Andy spent ten years at Ceremony Coffee in Annapolis after returning from wetland conservation and bird-banding work at Lebanon's Aammiq Marsh, rising to head roaster and green buyer; he came back to Colorado riding momentum from a competitive run that included two U.S. Brewers Cup titles, the 2013 U.S. AeroPress Championship and a World Brewers Cup runner-up finish.
Known for
- Two-time U.S. Brewers Cup Champion (Andy Sprenger)
- World Brewers Cup runner-up and 2013 U.S. AeroPress Champion
- "Connect with the Producer" events that bring farmers to the Lakewood roastery to taste their own coffees
- Three Colorado cafes: Lakewood (flagship), Arvada (former Two Rivers), Westminster (opened late 2020)
- Gives 1% of sales revenue back to communities where it lives, works and sources
- 2019 merger with Eric Yochim's Two Rivers Coffee added a hospitality-driven retail arm
Why it matters
Sweet Bloom is a clear example of a competition-pedigree barista turning championship momentum into a sustainable roasting business — and the producer-visit model, where farmers come to the roastery rather than only being visited, has become one of the more emulated transparency programs in US specialty.
Production
- head roaster
- Andy Sprenger
- roastery location
- Lakewood, Colorado (residential-area roastery)
Café
Lakewood, CO (flagship roastery cafe, opened January 2014); Arvada, CO (former Two Rivers Coffee location); Westminster, CO (opened late 2020)
Recognitions
- U.S. Brewers Cup — Champion (two-time, Andy Sprenger)
- World Brewers Cup — Runner-up (Andy Sprenger)
- U.S. AeroPress Championship — 1st place (2013, Andy Sprenger)
- U.S. Cup Tasters Championship — Runner-up (2014, Andy Sprenger)