San Diego Coffee Pro Heads to US Coffee Championship Nationals
San Diego coffee pro, Chris Dennis, General Manager at Ox Coffee, is making waves in the coffee world, securing a spot in the US Coffee Championships for the second consecutive year!
This February, as Ox Coffee celebrates its first anniversary, Chris is taking his passion for coffee and innovation to a whole new level in the “Coffee in Good Spirits” category, where coffee cocktails are judged on creativity, execution, and flavor.
From Local Favorites to National Recognition
Chris’s journey to the national stage started at the regional competition in Kansas City, Missouri, where he earned one of only nine spots to advance.
Inspired by his time at Ox Coffee and Rise and Shine Hospitality Group—known for hotspots like Fig Tree Café and Breakfast Republic—this San Diego coffee pro designed his cocktail creations with brunch-style restaurant affordability in mind.
- Brunch-Style Irish Coffee: Featuring chocolate bitters, Jim Beam, double dark brown sugar syrup, and coffee with tasting notes of semisweet chocolate, almond, cherry oak, and buttermilk pancake syrup.
- The Love Potion: A romantic blend of strawberry syrup, espresso, elderflower liqueur, vodka, ice, and dehydrated strawberry dust, with tasting notes of strawberry, lychee syrup, maraschino cherry, dehydrated pineapple, and semisweet chocolate.
Crafting Cocktails Under Pressure
Competing under a strict 10-minute time constraint, Chris wowed judges with his meticulous flavor accuracy, clean presentation, and composed performance.
Judges evaluated his use of time, workspace cleanliness, cocktail composition, and alignment with his pre-defined flavor calls—flavors he identifies in practice sessions and aims to deliver to perfection during the competition.
Off to Nationals!
Chris will now bring his creativity and skill to the national stage at the US Coffee Championships on February 21 to 23 in Durham, North Carolina. This marks another milestone for San Diego’s coffee scene and a proud moment for Ox Coffee and its rising star.
Let’s cheer on Chris as he represents San Diego’s vibrant coffee culture on a national level!
Goooo, Chris!
