In the world of coffee roasters, one competition stands out as the cream de la cream. They call it the Golden Bean. And Wyoming's own Snowy Elk Coffee Company is setting out to score big at this week's international competition.

So what, you may ask, is the Golden Bean? Consider it a coffee lover's dream. It's the largest coffee roaster competition in the world. The competition occurs in Australia and the U.S. each year. This year's competition goes down at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Snowy Elk is no stranger to the competition. Their coffees won at the Golden Bean in 2019 in the Decaf and Milk-Based categories. This year, Julie and Scott Gondzar and the team at Snowy Elk are hoping to win big in the same categories, as well as the Espresso and Pour-Over fields. Co-owner Julie Gondzar noted,

"We've really grown in what we offer for coffee, so we are entering a lot more into the competition and crossing our fingers."

And, you can buy most of the coffees going to the competition at local stores or the Snowy Elk Storefront in Cheyenne - how cool is that?

What Snowy Elk Coffees Are Heading to the Golden Bean?

I sat down with Julie for a chat, and she revealed which coffees are heading to Ohio to compete on the international scene. Here's the list if you want to grab a bag and sample what the judges will be tasting at the competition.

  • Espresso Category - Dark Moose and a NEW, unreleased espresso roast.
  • Milk-based Latte Category - Dark Moose and Vedauwoo Moon.
  • Pour-Over Category - Basecamp, Morning Bugle, and the Angler.
  • Decaf Category - Corpse Pose, Alpine Glow, and a NEW, unreleased roast.

Julie added that more coffee roasters entered this year's Golden Bean and that it'll be "tough competition" for their team. But I have no doubt they'll do the Cowboy State justice in Ohio.

More About Snowy Elk Coffee

Coffee fans can learn more about Snowy Elk by visiting their website, snowyelk.com, or by visiting their storefront at 6002 US-30, Cheyenne, WY 82001, between 3 and 7 p.m. on weekdays.

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