Sydney coffee pioneers Single O are excited to bring a record-breaking coffee home from Ethiopia. The Rumudamo coffee was the number two winning lot from the first ever Ethiopian Cup of Excellence earlier this year, and Single O were lucky enough to pick up a few kilos of the magic beans to bring home and roast for Aussies to try.
The coffee will be released on International Coffee Day on Thursday, 1 October, at a splurge-worthy $20 per cup at Single O Surry Hills and 19 of their partner cafes and restaurants around the country, including Cutler & Co in Melbourne, The Spot Specialty Coffee in Brisbane, Bread + Butter in Tasmania, Three Blue Ducks in Bronte, Rosebery and Byron Bay, and Single O Surry Hills and Sydney CBD. What better way to celebrate coffee than with a historic cup of its very best.
The Rumudamo coffee was purchased at auction by Single O and a few other world-class buyers globally, earlier this year at the first ever Cup of Excellence (the “Oscars of coffee”) competition to be held in Ethiopia. In what was a ‘perfect storm’ for quality specialty coffee – the combination of excitement about the 20th anniversary of the world’s most prestigious coffee awards, the awards being held in the birthplace of coffee and arguably the world’s leading producer, Ethiopia, and there being more entrants than normal – caused new price records to be set left, right and centre. And that’s only good news for growers and coffee-lovers the world over.
Single O have worked for many years to do more for the producers they work with and support better prices in the industry. It made sense for them to be involved in the historic auction and do their bit to support the industry and growers, at the same time as bringing coffee-lovers a taste of a very special coffee.
Single O head of coffee Wendy De Jong says “We are pinching ourselves that we are able to participate in this historic Ethiopia auction and bring Winning Lot #2, out of 1,459 total entries, to coffee fans in Australia. This coffee was awarded an incredible 90 points by the International Jury, and blew us all away at our staff cupping with its incredibly sweet and dynamic fruit flavours, and was our unanimous favourite.
“Beyond an incredible taste experience, what the Cup of Excellence program has proven over its 20-year history is that there is always quality to be discovered, even in countries you think you know well. Single O is proud to be a small part of this important moment.”
So here’s the reason to get excited: drinking a cup of this amazing coffee is not only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s sending a clear message to coffee producers worldwide that ‘your work is highly valued, keep investing in quality, and coffee drinkers will gladly pay more for it’.
There are only about 3,000 cups that will be served around Australia, with 396 numbered bags, and those who order Rumudamo will receive a special coaster to keep as a memento of their history-making experience. They will also get some background on the coffee itself and why it’s so special.
This $20 cup is the price-lifting, feel-good coffee of the year, with Rumudamo’s manager Bogale Woldehana saying “Our hard work has paid off and we are so happy and grateful”.
Single O will celebrate International Coffee Day on October 1 with the release of Rumudamo Ethiopia COE #2 served as a v60 pourover. The coffee will be served with a full barista-guided experience at the café brew bar, giving customers the opportunity to learn more about the coffee. Select Single O partner cafes across NSW, QLD, VIC and TAS will also be offering a synchronised first taste of this history-making coffee. Full list of stockists below.
To have the opportunity to be one of the first to order a bag of Rumudamo, join Single O’s community by signing up to their newsletter – singleo.com.au
Single O
60–64 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
89 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000
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PARTNERS SERVING RUMUDAMO ETHIOPIA COE #2
NSW
Three Blue Ducks, Bronte, Rosebery & Byron Bay
Camp Grounds, Tamworth
Espresso Martine, Woy Woy
Goodbye Horses, Summer Hill
Lords of Pour, Ettalong
Niko And, Chatswood
The Butcher’s Cafe, Fairlight
VIC
Cutler & Co, Fitzroy
QLD
Bear Boy Espresso, Helensvale
Stable Coffee Kitchen, Tugun
Rafter & Rose, Ipswich
Elk Espresso, Broadbeach
The Milk Bar, Maroochydore
The Spot Specialty Coffee, Brisbane
Told You So, North Lakes
Vvaldmeer, Highgate Hill
TAS
Bread + Butter, Launceston
Shoebox Cafe, Hobart