

The Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson
The Coffee Show with Kirk Pearson
Uncovering the untold stories about coffee
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2025 • 11min
Kirk's Take: I Think Esmeralda Will Sell For $30,000/kg, Here's Why:
This week the Best Of Panama Auction will take place and it is the most anticipated auction ever. Since the competition took place, the industry has been abuzz about Hacienda La Esmeralda winning all three categories. Their Washed Geisha entry scored an unprecedented 98 points, which may be the best coffee on record!Many are speculating that this coffee will exceed $20,000 USD per kilogram, and Kirk sees a possibility that it could reach as high as $30,000. Kirk explains all in this short podcast! Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 18min
Lance Hedrick: Do Home Baristas Make Better Coffee Than Cafes?
Lance Hedrick is a respected coffee content creator with a massive Youtube and Instagram following. Lance is known for his long form breakdowns of equipment, brewing methods and many other advanced subjects in the coffee industry. In this podcast Lance and Kirk discuss Lance' introduction to the coffee industry, how he made bank winning latte art smackdowns, golf and health.Perhaps the most interesting topic discussed though is whether home baristas now make better coffee than most cafes! Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jul 27, 2025 • 1h 12min
David Flood and Sam Keck: He Brought a Knife to a Gun Fight, And Won!
Sam Keck is a co-founder of Commonfolk Coffee in Australia and helped build Zukukubora, a social enterprise in Uganda that's purpose is to empower coffee farming communities to making farming sustainable and regenerative. David Flood until recently was a little known brewer from St David's Dairy in Melbourne. He competed in his first Brewers Cup competition using coffee from Zukukubora and wiped the floor with all of competitors on the day, with a performance that had people in tears. People are now describing what David accomplished as bringing 'a knife to a gun fight.' Most brewers cup competitions are won using high end coffee from Panama or Colombia, and David flipped that narrative on its head using coffee from Uganda. In this podcast you will learn that David's words are powerful, meaningful and impactful. David emphasis coffee as a 'tool for social innovation' and he explains in perfect words why our purchasing choices can mean so much to so many! Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jul 25, 2025 • 20min
Coffee Show Q&A #1
Kirk answers listeners questions sent in. What is the best cafe in the world? Who is in his Pokemon party at the moment? How to watch the UFC when you have a family? Tips to opening a cafe? Kirk answers all in this podcast. Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jul 20, 2025 • 1h 21min
Mason Salisbury: How Tariffs Are Affecting US Coffee Businesses and Relentlessly Pursuing Quality
Mason Salisbury is the founder of Luminous Coffee operating out of Las Vegas Nevada. In this podcast Mason outlines the uncertainty of trade policy in the US right now and how it is impact US coffee roasteries. Mason above all, is a quality focused coffee roaster with an enormous amount of experience operating on almost type of coffee roaster. We discuss his recent transition to roasting on a Typhoon roaster, a completely electric and convection based roaster. Plus, does drinking only washed coffee mean you're lame? Find out our answer!Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jul 14, 2025 • 1h 5min
Jack Simpson: Can He Win Finally Win The World Barista Championship?
Jack Simpson has won the Australian Barista Championship for the past three years. At the world level he has placed 3rd and 2nd in consecutive years and this year he looks to do one better in what might be his final campaign. Jack has evolved over the years, and this year Kirk thinks he is looking better than ever. Kirk and Jack discuss competition at length and Kirk also tells a story about Strawberry Matcha you might not believe! Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jul 7, 2025 • 1h 23min
Rhys Woods: 10 Things You Should Know Before Opening A Cafe
Are you thinking of opening a cafe or wanting improve your current one? Then this podcast is an excellent resource for you. Kirk is joined by Rhys Woods of Ona Coffee and together they distill some 10 great points on what you should consider before opening a cafe, some of the tips will save you a lot of pain! Rhys Woods works as an Account Manager for Ona Coffee, who are a successful and quality focused coffee wholesaler in Australia, while Kirk Pearson is a cafe owner himself. Together their information formed these ten 'commandments' that you should consider. Plus, Rhys and Kirk discuss the recent Best of Panama results, some competition news and UFC! Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jun 30, 2025 • 51min
Aston Utan: Building The Indonesian Specialty Coffee Scene
Aston Utan is one of the founders of Common Grounds in Jakarta Indonesia. Common Grounds are hugely responsible for the development of the Indonesian specialty coffee scene and Aston is their CEO. In this episode Kirk and Aston discuss how the Indonesian coffee scene has grown to be one of the most vibrant in the world. Aston and Kirk also discuss how technology will influence coffee service in the future and why customers prefer buying coffee from people rather than robots. Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jun 23, 2025 • 36min
Kai Janson - Pana-drama! What Makes Coffee From Panama So Special?
Kai Janson is a world leading coffee producer from Panama operating Janson Family Estates. Coffee from the Janson family is internationally applauded and used in competitions all over the world. In 2023 Janson Geisha was used by Boram Um to win the World Barista Championship, a first for the Janson family. In this episode Kirk and Kai discuss what it is that makes coffee from Panama so special! Kai also spills the beans on what some call 'pana-drama,' a term that describes the friendly rivalry between coffee producers in Panama who many believe produce the worlds best coffee. Securing this interview was a win for us at the Coffee Show and offers insight into some of the unspoken tales of Panamanian coffee. The highs, the lows, the beginning and the pana-drama!Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.

Jun 19, 2025 • 28min
Mikael Jasin: World Barista Champion, Cafe Owner, Coffee Exporter
Mikael Jasin is the reigning World Barista Champion, cafe owner and coffee exporter. Mikael took the world by storm winning the World Barista Championship prioritising mindfulness and recounting the challenges he had to overcome to finally win, a great metaphor for life in general. Above everything, Mikael is a proud Indonesian. Since winning the WBC he has been a powerful ambassador for his own country and greater Asia . In this podcast Mikael and Kirk discuss how competition could improve, what Indonesian coffee farmers need to grow and a vision for the coffee industry in the future. Like this podcast? Leave a review or even share to some friends! Sharing helps us grow so that we can go to more places and share more stories around the world.


