Coffee is personal. Some people gravitate toward rich, chocolate-forward coffees, while others prefer bright, fruit-driven flavors. At Klatch Coffee, we believe there’s no right or wrong preference—only great coffee waiting to be discovered. That philosophy is one of the reasons we rotate and highlight different coffees throughout the year. Each coffee tells a story, whether it's about the producers who grew it, the unique flavors it showcases, or the role it has played in our journey as a company.
Few coffees represent that journey better than our WBC World’s Best Espresso. Originally created for Heather Perry's appearance at the 2007 World Barista Championship in Tokyo, Japan, this espresso earned the competition's first-ever Best Espresso award and helped establish Klatch Coffee on the world stage. Nearly two decades later, it remains one of the most significant coffees in our history and a longtime customer favorite. It’s a remarkable blend that reflects our commitment to sourcing, roasting, and crafting exceptional coffee.
To understand why the WBC World’s Best Espresso remains such an important part of Klatch Coffee today, it helps to look back at the competition, the people behind the blend, and the story that started it all.
Who is Heather Perry?
To understand Heather's role in the story of the WBC World’s Best Espresso, we need to go back to the 1990s. Our Founder, Green Sourcer, and Roastmaster, Mike Perry, founded the company with his wife Cindy in 1993, aiming to create a safe and comfortable third space environment for people to find great coffee along with great conversations and community. In fact, the name Klatch Coffee comes from the word "Kaffeeklatsch," which refers to an informal social gathering for coffee and conversations.
At the time they opened the first Klatch Coffee location, Mike was still in school at UC Riverside for engineering, and Cindy was taking care of their two daughters, Heather and Holly. Growing up around the family business gave both sisters a deep appreciation for the craft, and today, Holly oversees Klatch Coffee's retail operations while Heather serves as CEO, continuing the work their parents began more than three decades ago. The dynamic duo also continues to spend their days together in our training lab, testing new recipes, making improvements, and working together like mad scientists to create the perfect food and drinks for our stores.
How does Heather relate to the WBC World’s Best Espresso?
Long before becoming CEO, Heather Perry built a distinguished career in competitive coffee. “Before stepping into leadership, I had the honor of competing in various nationwide and international competitions,” she shared. “I became the first woman to win the U.S. Barista Championship, and the first person to win the title twice. That experience taught me the discipline of perfecting every detail of the coffee experience, and really gave me deep insight into what customers really value. I carried those lessons into every role since, including serving as president of the Specialty Coffee Association, where I helped unite the U.S. and European organizations to better serve the global coffee community.” After winning the U.S. Barista Championship, the next step was flying to Tokyo, Japan to represent the U.S. in the world competition. “I placed second overall in the barista competition, but I competed with our WBC, which earned the first ever “Best Espresso” title at the competition.”
What does this coffee mean to Klatch Coffee?
While the award itself was a historic achievement, the significance of the WBC World's Best Espresso goes far beyond a trophy or title. For Klatch Coffee, it represents years of dedication to sourcing exceptional coffees, refining roasting techniques, and pursuing excellence in every cup. The espresso's success was palpable proof that a smaller, family-owned coffee company could compete alongside the very best in specialty coffee, not just for a participatory award, but for the win. More importantly, it reinforced our values of staying committed to quality, innovation, and creating memorable experiences.
Nearly two decades after earning that first-ever Best Espresso title at the World Barista Championship, the blend remains an important part of our story. It serves as a reminder of how far we've come, from a single neighborhood cafe to an internationally recognized coffee company, while also inspiring us to continue learning, improving, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in coffee.
Today, the WBC World's Best Espresso remains a customer favorite, not just because it won an award before, but because every part of the coffee—the carefully selected components, the roast level, and the post-roast blending method—still receives the same attention to detail as it did twenty years ago.
What makes the WBC World’s Best Espresso special?
It’s a combination of things that makes the WBC World’s Best Espresso special—it’s the carefully selected components and the post-roast blending method, but it’s also the coffee’s award-winning pedigree and versatility as well.
This espresso blend is made up of three components: a Brazil Yellow Bourbon, a Sumatra Lake Tawar, and an Ethiopia Natural. The washed Brazilian Yellow Bourbon component provides a sweetness and strong foundation to the blend, and also sets the tone for the smooth, medium body of the coffee. With Sumatra’s signature wet-hulling washed process, this component provides additional depth and body, with darker notes of baking spices, woods, and herbs that add a unique complexity to the blend. With the amount we put in and how strong the Brazilian and Ethiopian components are, you won’t get much of the vegetal flavor profile that can be common in Sumatran coffees. Instead, it becomes a touch of weight and earthiness to balance out the other notes. Finally, the natural processed Ethiopian provides the brightness that the blend was missing from the first two components alone. It’s aromatic, fruity, and berry-forward, instantly elevating the blend and adding a sweet fruitiness that differentiates it from other espressos.
Here at Klatch Coffee, a large majority of our blends are post-roast blends. This means we roast each individual component by itself, and combine them together afterwards to create our blends. We do this so that we’re able to roast each bean at its optimal temperature and timing, bringing out the very best in each bean. Rather than blasting everything with one time and one temperature, we’re giving each component the attention it deserves to really thrive. Then, with all components roasted and ready in its best condition, we mix them together for a premium blend.
Not only does the WBC World’s Best Espresso taste great as an espresso with its sweet dark chocolate, orange citrus, and berry flavor notes, but it also makes for a truly delicious pour over (iced or hot) and cold brew as well! As a pour over, the coffee will lean more towards the dark chocolate notes, reminiscent of a chocolate covered orange peel. As a cold brew, more of those tail-end flavor notes become more apparent, with a berry, citrusy, bright flavor. Though you’re using the same blend, you’re able to find many ways to enjoy it and enjoy different flavor profiles with each brewing method.
How can I try the WBC World’s Best Espresso?
We have the WBC World’s Best Espresso available on our website, in our store locations in retail bags and as our July 2026 espresso of the month, and on select grocery shelves in Sprouts Farmers Market across California. From July 5 to July 12, 2026, we’ll also be introducing our very first WBC Celebration Week, where purchases of bags of WBC World’s Best Espresso on our website will earn extra Klatch Rewards Points!
What’s your recommended recipe to make WBC World’s Best Espresso at home?
Pour Over:
- 1:14.5 ratio
- 24.5g coffee ground medium coarsely
- 360g water at 204°F
- 3:30 total brew time
- a more detailed brewer such as an April Brewer or a Kalita Brewer
Recipe:
- Start with a 60g pour to bloom your coffee.
- Wait 30 seconds before your next pour.
- Continue to pour in 60g increments every 20 seconds or so - don’t overfill your filter, but don’t let the grounds completely dry before your next pour, either!
- Once you’ve poured all 360g of water, wait for the grounds to dry and the water to finish dripping into your carafe.
- Enjoy!
Iced Pour Over:
- 1:10 ratio
- 20g coffee ground medium coarsely
- 200g water at 204°F
- 3:30 total brew time
Recipe:
- Place filter in brewer, wet with water, then discard water.
- Add 100g ice to carafe.
- Put 20g ground coffee (like table salt) in the brewer.
- Pour 30-35g hot water over coffee, bloom 30-35 sec.
- At 35 sec, spiral pour 20 sec to 200g.
- Add 150g of ice to brewed coffee once previous pour has drained from the ground coffee.
- Serve, then enjoy!
Cold Brew:
Grind your coffee as coarsely as possible, and steep in cold water for 12-24 hours. The longer you steep, the stronger the coffee will be. If possible, use a toddy filter for your grinds. If not, strain them out once your cold brew is done brewing with a cheese cloth, or even a Chemex or pourover filter!
Espresso:
- Dose: 20 g (double)
- Temperature: 201°F [94°C]
- Time: 24-26 seconds
- Out: 36 g
For the summer vibes, try a Sun-Kissed Shaken Espresso ☀️
- Start with a 16oz cup.
- Fill the cup 3/4 of the way with ice.
- In a shaker, add half cup of ice.
- Add 1oz of Elderflower Syrup to the shaker.
- Add 1oz of Litchi/Lychee Syrup to the shaker.
- Add a double shot of WBC World’s Best Espresso.
- Close the shaker and shake 15-20 times.
- Pour over the ice in your cup, and enjoy!
For autumn moments, make an Orange Spice Latte 🍁
- Start with a 16oz cup.
- Fill the cup with ice.
- Add 1oz of a Brown Sugar Orange Syrup. You can make this by making a simple syrup (1:1 ratio of sugar and water) with brown sugar, and incorporating orange peels within the mix, letting them soak for at least an hour.
- Add 10oz of your milk of choice.
- Mix it well.
- Layer your double shot of WBC World’s Best Espresso on top.
- Garnish with Cinnamon Powder, and enjoy!
Although it's been two decades since we first created this coffee, the WBC World’s Best Espresso remains a true testament to Klatch Coffee and who we are. It reflects the discipline of competition, our peak-of-flavor roasting method, and our belief that great coffee is made with intention. From its origin sourcing to its shining moment on the world stage, and now as a staple in our store locations, on grocery shelves, and in the hands of home baristas, this blend continues to embody our journey. Every shot we pull and every cup we serve is a reminder that coffee is more than a beverage—it’s a shared moment, an experience, and a connection we’re honored to be part of.
