Lance Hedrick

The SEY Discord is now live! We wanted to create a more open space for conversations around brewing, sourcing, new releases, transparency, and the broader work happening across SEY and with our producer partners. Our hope is that it becomes a place to share ideas, ask questions, and continue learning together—bringing producers, baristas, roasters, home brewers, green buyers, and the broader coffee community into closer conversation. We will also be hosting live brew sessions with Lance Hedrick, with the next taking place May 16 at 10 AM EST. Join via the link in bio.

Absolutely unbelievable. Not very descriptive, nor insightful, but the only words I can muster up following this weekend's reception of SEY house. We attempted something previously not done, and certainly learned a TON. This space, this event, these people, mean the world to me. I believe we accomplished a new paradigm of what coffee events can be- a space truly centered on coffee. While we certainly turned it into a playground for enthusiasts with high end machines and innumerable brewing devices, the conversation always came back to the cup. By offering everything, we were able to strip away focus on the what gear or water one did or did not have and, instead, allowed a place for people to commune over coffee. Raw and beautiful. Thank you first to the lovely folks at @hyunahcoffeeclub , as well as the incredible people who came thru to volunteer some help, whether it was cleaning brewing stations, filling coffee vials, unloading, packing up, and more. This would not have been remotely possible without any of you. Thank you to all of the enthusiasts, coffee professionals, and producers who swung thru to brew and chat and hang. I will need a few more pinches to myself to believe all this is happening just one month after joining my new home with @seycoffee . Excited for the much more to come. Thank you

Full programming schedule for SEY House San Diego! In collaboration with @hyunahcoffeeclub , and hosted by SEY’s Director of Research & Education, @lancehedrick . Free and open to all, SEY House is an open forum to brew, taste, and discuss beautiful coffee, featuring over a dozen exceptional lots alongside a playground of the industry’s leading brewers, grinders, and espresso machines. SEY House–exclusive coffees from @fincas_del_putushio (125g Mejorado) and @dwightaguilarmasias (250g Yellow Gesha) will be available for purchase, while supplies last! Equipment partners include: @bookoocoffeetools , @decentespressomachines , @fellowproducts , @femobook_grinder , @flairespressomaker , @kafatek , @kintousa , @lamarzocco , @lotus.coffee.products , @melodripco , @meticulous.home , @option_o.coffee , @orea.uk , @oxo , @sibaristcoffee , @sworksdesign , @weberworkshops , @xbloom_coffee , and @zerno.grinder .

I’m overjoyed to share that I’ve joined @seycoffee as Director of Research and Education. I’ve admired SEY from afar for years, especially their approach to green buying and relentless focus on quality and execution. In this role, I’ll be exploring how brewing, roasting, and sourcing intersect, and working to translate that into something clear and usable for both professionals and home brewers. Lots to come. Truly can’t wait to show you what we’re working on.

My first time stepping foot into Onyx was in December 2015 for my first ever latte art throwdown (top left photo). This is where I first met Jon and Andrea and Bear. I knew, right then, I wanted to work at Onyx. A few years later, in 2018, that thought became reality. I began working in wholesale and over the years, have dabbled on bar, in training, consulting cafes, and aiding in launching some really cool concepts from our tea line to instant coffee to the international roasting collective. I have gotten to compete, gain confidence on camera, and travel the world for coffee. I have gotten to be part of Andrea's and Morgan's championship runs. And, most importantly, I have created relationships that have transformed me as a coffee professional, but more importantly, a person. These 8 years have been instructive, enjoyable, and productive. This Monday will be my last day with @onyxcoffeelab . While I am sentimental and humbled by the experience, I am extremely excited for what is ahead. More on that later. Thank you, Onyx, for an incredible 8 years.

And that's a wrap. Spent all day yesterday and this morning pulling some turbos at @nordiccoffeefest Thanks to all who came up to chat! Photo by NCF

Making some THICC spro on the @9baristaespresso Video dropping tomorrow in YT.

Coffee brought me to Broadway! Got to meet one of my favorite vocalists and performers, @aarontveit , after watching @chessmusical in NYC. He is a coffee nerd, I am a theater kid. Had to happen. Absolutely wonderful show, to which I coaxed @emstagrim and her wife to accompany me. Now, on to the morrow where much caffeine will be consumed to my detriment before hopping a plane back home tomorrow night.

New video posted. Touches on bed depth (also see @jgagneastrocoffee recent work on bed depth in pulsar as well as my espresso depth videos), micro brews, and my recipe for the cafec deep 27. Check it on the YT!

Woah. Unbelievable. I have been nominated for a sprudgie every year since 2021/22, but never gave winning much thought due to the giants who were nominated alongside me. That, plus my reticence to try and garner a vote, usually guaranteed my fate ha! But I am surprised to find out today that I have won my first Sprudgie! Pretty cool. Massive shouts out to the following for also winning their categories: Best New Product- Oxo Rapid Brewer Notable Coffee Producer- my friend @sebastian_ramirezr who produced one of my favorite coffees of 2025 Best Coffee Writing- my dear friend @morgandrinkscoffee Best Coffee Book- everyone's favorite coffee physicist and good friend @jgagneastrocoffee . Stoked to have contributed to your successful book even in a small way. Best New Cafe- @onyxcoffeelab , my place of employment, with their banging Springdale location Sustainable Roaster- my bud and OG @timwendelboe And lastly, but certainly not least- notable event to @womenpoweredcoffeesummit ! While I did not attend, I watched with glee from afar. Congrats to all nominated. Imbibe 100 and a sprudgie to begin the year? Not bad. Cheers!

Apparently it's time to look back 10 years ago to 2016. Here is a snapshot for me. 1- flew out to Venice Beach by invitation of @nicely85 to work some bar shifts at Menottis. My wife and I did not have the means for a "babymoon" and Nicely kindly offered enough for us to fly out to California for some days to enjoy the sun and for me to work some dream shifts alongside him, soaking up some of the most efficient bar flow and latte art advice in the (lala) land. 2- I got to practice alongside another giant in the industry- @twizz_3seas . One Pic in Texas, the other in California, sharpening up before some competitions. 3- in March 2016, I flew to England to interview for PhD programs. While there, @dhantamang1 kindly invited me to his shop to pour some drinks. While there, he showed me what was at the time the most IG worthy way to pour pretty drinks (food coloring). It was a video made during this session that actually got my IG featured by @instagram as one of the top coffee accounts even 10 years ago. 4- This was my first ever pour in the Coffee Fest world latte art championship open held in New York. I still maintain that was the most stacked field ever. 5- 2016 was the year I really fell in love with specialty. Like, really. Before this year, I was largely still in coffee because I really enjoyed where I worked and pouring latte art, but @zachary.a.kelley pushed us baristas to try coffee from all over the place. It was the place I began to shape my love. 6- This silly photo was my "farewell" photo to the first cafe I worked at as my impending move from Searcy, AR to Memphis, TN loomed nearer. I look like a pre teen 7- Early in 2016, I was really pushing my IG and poured into every vessel I could find. Here is a clever, but I also did a blind basket, avocado skin, and many more... lol 2016 was a really important year. It is the year I decided to defer my PhD (I still have not done it) in favor of coffee, my IG went from 5k to 20k followers due to the IG feature, and I first was introduced to the coffee community outside my immediate geographical location due to coffee events I attended. It is definitely my "pivot" year. What a trek down memory lane.

In other exciting news, I've been named to the @imbibe 75 for 2026! What a cool honor that I am proud to share with you all. This is the first year this award has been global, so it is extra special to me! Thanks for all the love and support over the years. Excited to be included in this list of incredible professionals across the globe. #imbibemagazine #imbibe75