Specialty Coffee: Baristas, Brewing Gear and Roasters — 2026-09-26
This week: Japan's Kurasu announces its largest-ever booth at SCAJ 2026 with Japan-first gear previews, Starbucks Japan launches a Pokémon barista-collab drink line, and South Korea crowns its 2026 CANU Barista Champion. In Italy, a new Gambero Rosso coffee map drops in Milan while specialty café Drip opens a feature and espresso inflation data drives new discount initiatives.
Specialty Coffee: Baristas, Brewing Gear and Roasters — 2026-09-26
Top developments
Kurasu to show Japan-first coffee gear at SCAJ 2026
Kyoto-based roaster Kurasu, marking its 10th anniversary, announced it will exhibit at SCAJ 2026 — Asia's largest specialty coffee trade event — at its largest-ever booth scale, with a preview of new coffee gear making its first public display in Japan. The move underscores Japanese roasters' growing weight in regional gear launches ahead of global availability.
Starbucks Japan launches Pokémon barista-crafted drinks
Starbucks Coffee Japan announced a Pokémon collaboration starting September 30, 2026, including the "Pikachu Honey Cream Latte" developed by the winner of its internal barista recipe contest, "Pokémon × Starbucks Barista Battle," plus a nationwide line of 41 goods. It's a clear case of in-house champions — not corporate HQ — driving product menus.
Korea crowns 2026 CANU Barista Champion
Dongsuh Foods concluded its third annual "2026 CANU Barista Championship," with barista Eom Seong-jin taking the national title from among contestants across the country. The competition, held September 19–20, focused on creative coffee and consumer engagement for the CANU brand — Korea's largest-scale barista competition outside the World Barista Championship pathway.
Milan event maps Italy's diversifying roasting sector
Caffè e Torrefazioni d'Italia 2026, Gambero Rosso's new guide to Italian cafés and roasteries, was presented with events including a Milan talk on the journey from plant to cup, covering fermentation and roasting. The sector's growing diversity — third-wave roasteries alongside traditional espresso houses — is the guide's headline theme.
Local view
Italy: Coverage of the "expensive tazzina" debate continues: a bar in Venafro (Isernia province) made headlines with a 50-cent espresso for customers who bring their own cup — a viral pricing response to rising costs. Meanwhile, CiboToday profiles Drip Specialty Coffee Bistrot in Foligno, where former bartender Roberto Ciani still manages to offer specialty espresso at €1.30 per cup with all house-made food — a counterpoint to price inflation in provincial Italy. Espresso Academy profiles Pino Roastery, an Italian roaster founded in Bavaria blending Italian tradition and specialty standards.
Japan: Starbucks Stories details how the internal barista battle produced the Pokémon collaboration drinks, framing baristas as "ambassadors" of coffee creativity.
Context & numbers
- Italy's average espresso price at the bar has reached ~€1.29–1.30, up 24.2% since 2021; Bolzano is the most expensive city, Messina the cheapest
- Assoutenti reports espresso above €1.40 in 11 Italian cities
- Industry body Fipe estimates an espresso should sell at least €2 to cover real costs — "over thirty expense items" sit behind each cup
On the radar
- SCAJ 2026 — Kurasu's largest-ever display of Asia's biggest specialty coffee trade show; watch for Japan-first gear launches arising from it
- Alpine Roasting Championship, Munich, 9–11 October 2026 — 12 roasteries, one green lot, three identical Giesen15-E machines; a new format for roasting competitions
- World Barista Championship, Panama City, 23–25 October 2026 — more than 50 national champions, 15-minute routines; the season's finale
- Starbucks Japan's Pokémon drink line hits menus September 30 — a barometer of collar-bait commercial menu strategy
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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