Media Archive - 2011 to 2015
Baltimore Collegetown
Explorin' & Tourin' Part 4 - December 4, 2015
So if you’re in need of a caffeine boost head to Spro for a quality cup of Joe. Seriously, quality is the name of the game at Spro and its high-standards have earned it several awards...
Baltimore Magazine
Baltimore's Trendiest, Spendiest Coffee Cups - November 5, 2015
Spro, the tiny Hampden coffeehouse that serves up big flavor and long waits, now lists a cup that is also remarkably expensive. The $15 ka’u, brewed in a vac pot straight out of chemistry class, relies on beans that have been salt-rubbed during fermentation.
Baltimore Food Chronicle
SPRO - October 14, 2015
In any case, I finally made the trek down and I’m so glad I did. The guy at the counter was patient and answered my questions, and since I responded only with blank looks as he explained everything we mutually agreed on a cup of their house blend.
Sprudge.com
A Coffee Lovers Guide to Baltimore - July 20, 2015
Industry vet Jay Caragay is manning the bar at Spro Coffee in Hampden. Netflix’s House of Cards was shooting down the block from the shop on a recent Thursday...
TwinCities.com
7 Great Reasons to Visit Baltimore This Summer - July 3, 2015
Lately, though, Hampden seems to be moving with the times, as young and hip types settle in on the main drag, 36th Street, bringing new businesses such as Spro Coffee — come in for a pour-over, single-estate, locally roasted whatever...
DoSuperb.com
6 Fantastic, Locally Owned Coffee Shops in Baltimore - June 26, 2015
As far as national love is concerned, Spro is Baltimore’s verifiable heavyweight. Founder (and Baltimore-native) Jay Caragay knows a thing or two about coffee - so much so that he serves as one of the judges in the annual World Barista Championship.
Huffington Post
Great Reasons to Visit Baltimore this Summer - June 22, 2015
Lately, though, Hampden seems to be moving with the times, as young and hip types settle in on the main drag, 36th Street, bringing new businesses like Spro Coffee - come in for a pour-over, single-estate, locally-roasted whatever...
The Baltimore Sun
24 Hours with: The Professional Drifter - April 9, 2015
Spro on the Avenue. Drink coffee and destroy!
The Baltimore Sun
Saturday is Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day - February 6, 2015
The Charmery in Hampden tells us it will open at 10 a.m. and serve up these flavors of ice cream: Spro Coffee...
The Drink Nation
Baltimore's Best Coffee Shops - January 19, 2015
One of the newer coffee shops in the pleasantly quirky neighborhood of Hampden, Spro is dedicated to serving high quality coffee from a variety of regions and roasters. Their honey macchiato is a favorite of devotees to the spot, but it’s also a top place to do some tasting if you’re a coffee connoisseur.
Baltimore Brew.com
Desperately Seeking Thick, Rich European-Style Hot Chocolate in Baltimore - November 27, 2014
They have two hot chocolate offerings, one made from a chocolate ganache and the other made from a ganache of Mexican chocolate.
AFAR Magazine
Spro Coffee
Spro is one of my favorite places for coffee in Baltimore. Each cup is hand brewed, with exceptional care and attention. Their 'coffee of the month' changes quite often, and they feature beans from all over the world with accurate descriptions of taste, aroma, and texture.
TheGuilford.com
Sip a Honey Macchiato at Spro Coffee - November 6, 2014
Spro excels at making classic drinks that coffee traditionalists love, but it also offers a few specialty lattes like the popular honey macchiato for those who prefer a bit more flavor. There is also a small selection of unique baked goods and other treats to go with your coffee...
Cincinnati Refined
Eating Your Way Through Baltimore - November 4, 2014
If you’re deadly serious about your coffee’s provenance and preparation, go to Spro (on 36th Street in Hampden), where there’s no such thing as a grab-n-dash cup.
New York Daily News
Only a Few Hours From New York, Baltimore Makes a Great Weekend Getaway - September 21, 2014
Baltimore’s best coffee — and a mecca for java nerds — beckons a few blocks down. Spro treats caffeine with equal parts love and science...
CBS Baltimore
Parking Day Sprouts Nature On The Avenue In Hampden - September 19, 2014
“There’s been some mixed reaction. There are some people in the neighborhood who are worried that it’s taking up parking spaces. Personally, I think it’s a great thing. I think it encourages more people to come and enjoy the neighborhood,” said Jay Caragay, Spro Coffee.
Specialty Coffee Chronicle
The Barista: A Sustainable Profession in the Making - September 15, 2014
Jay Caragay of Spro coffee in Towson, Maryland, notes that it’s enticing “when articles tell you that coffee shops average 230 cups per day, generating estimated annual revenue of $250,000 (or more) per year.”
StarChefs.com
Jay Caragay of Spro Coffee - August 2014
Growing up in a household where the morning brew was Taster’s Cup, Jay Caragay wasn’t exactly initiated into the finer points of coffee culture at an early age.
EatingCharmCity.com
Spro Coffee - August 9, 2014
This coffee shop has gotten so many great reviews, that I had to stop in while I was running some errands. It is a classy, sort of upscale coffee shop.
Huffington Post
Baltimore Coffee Scene - August 8, 2014
The local City Paper writes about the "tall glass apparatus that wouldn't look out of place in a chemistry lab through which brown liquid slowly drips," but quickly adds that "the performance pays off," with excellent brews.
Baltimore Magazine
Best of Baltimore - Personal Bests: Coffee Houses - August 2014
Discerning drinkers swear by Spro, which offers multiple brew methods -- vacuum pot, pour-over, Chemex--and top-grade java.
Baltimore Jewish Times
Summertime Staycation - June 26, 2014
...or visiting Hampden and having coffee and a snack on the outside patio at Spro...
Baltimore City Paper
Checking In with Heather Mizeur on her Frantic Final Push to Election Day - June 25, 2014
.Heather Mizeur at Spro in Hampden. Notice the empty coffee cup...
Terrapin Eats
Weekend Finds - Spro Hampden - May 19, 2014
While in Hampden over the weekend, the epitome of a “hole-in-the-wall” coffee house was right before my eyes. Spro is everything Hampden. Unique, underrated and excellent.
Yahoo! Travel
5 Reasons Baltimore is the New Brooklyn - May 2, 2014
1. Great Coffee: The best coffee shop in town is definitely Spro. Their menu changes weekly and they offer multiple ways to brew the perfect cup, from vacuum pot, chemex, eva solo, and aeropress to a cold brew drip tower (I have no idea what that is).
DoSuperb.com
6 Fantastic, Locally Owned Coffee Shops in Baltimore - February 17, 2014
As far as national love is concerned, Spro is Baltimore’s verifiable heavyweight. Founder (and Baltimore-native) Jay Caragay knows a thing or two about coffee - so much so that he serves as one of the judges in the annual World Barista Championship.
Baltimore Magazine
Our Favorite Ice Cream - The Charmery - January 2014
Editor's pick: Spro coffee, made in collaboration with the Hampden coffee shop down the street.
WhereTraveler.com
Buzzfeed: Baltimore's Coffee Culture - December 19, 2013
An anchor of "The Avenue" since 2010, this narrow shop serves "Progressive American Coffee." With a roasters in East Baltimore, Spro offers its own roasts as well as those by guests.
AolTravel.com
48 Hours in Baltimore, Maryland - November 5, 2013
If you need an extra dose of caffeine to fuel your shopping (or the journey home), Spro uses blind testing to create a menu crafted by science-experiment-style brewing methods.
Baltimore Magazine
Great Brews - 13 Places To Get Your Coffee (and Wi-Fi) Fix - November 2013
With seven different brew methods, this is an establishment for every kind of coffee lover.
South African Broadcast Company - SABC
US Companies Hope for a Better US-Africa Trade Deal - October 2, 2013
Spro is featured in the b-roll for this video on the pending USA/Africa trade deal featuring our Ethiopian coffee importer Samuel Demisse that aired in South Africa.
Baltimore Sun.com
A Fixture On The Avenue With A Nose For News - September 30, 2013
Spro, where Mr. Barr often stopped in to drink iced tea with lots of sugar.
Cleveland.com
'Pour-Over' Coffee - and Other Single-Cup, Hand-Crafted Brews - are the Hot, New Trend in Caffeinated Beverages - September 4, 2013
Several innovative coffee chains and independent shops (Blue Bottle, Intelligensia, and Spro in Baltimore among them) have turned single-cup brewing into something of an art form.
MapQuest.com
48 Hours in Baltimore, Day 3 - August 29, 2013
If you need an extra dose of caffeine to fuel your shopping (or the journey home), Spro uses blind testing to create a menu crafted by science-experiment-style brewing methods.
Cupcake Crusaders.com
Baltimore Cupcake Charm in Hampden - March 1, 2013
While walking down 36th Street, Crusader Elisa and I decided to grab some coffee at Spro, a quaint mom-n-pop coffee shop that had an equally delicious looking batch of Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes...
El Mundo del Cafe
Innovacion y Calidad, La Ruta del Barista de Exito - February 2013, page 11
El afamado campeon estadunidense de AeroPress dicto una conferencia en Mexico y aprovechamos para charlar sobre sus impresiones del mercado mexicano respecto del mundial.
Union Wharf Apartments
Get Your Caffeine Fix at Spro - February 7, 2013
You know good coffee when you taste it. It doesn't take some esoteric schooling or expensive roast or elaborate...
InnerDharma.org
Baltimore Coffee Bloom - February 6, 2013
Spro had a small coffee shop in the walkway on the second floor of the Towson Public library where he had excellently sourced beans and also Japanese style cold brew. Spro opened a shop on the Avenue in Hamden, and since then I knew I could get good espresso and cold brew when I was down in that section of the city.
BmoreArt.com
Gertrude Stein Questionnair: Peter Bruun - January 8, 2013
Beverage of Choice: Cafe Mocha from Artifact Coffee or Spro in Hampden. Either place will do.
Baltimore Style
Something's Brewing - January/February 2013
Caragay acknowledges the Baltimore scene is nowhere near as developed as coffee hot spots like Seattle and San Francisco, but he prefers it to many more established coffee towns.
About.com
Best Coffee Shops in Baltimore - Libby Zay
This tiny coffee shop gets its moniker from the slang term for espresso and fittingly, this place has high brewing standards.
Baltimore Brew.com
Great Coffee Cafes in Baltimore: Two More - December 5, 2012
As our coffee crawl moves up one neighborhood to the north, we come to the place people frequently cite as “Exhibit A” when arguing that cutting-edge coffee culture exists in Baltimore…
Barista Magazine
Annual MANE Conference Sets the Bar for Barista Events - December 2012, p.46
On Friday, even before the keynote speech, Jay Caragay’s workshop “Breaking Bad” noted the uncomfortable arithmetic every shop owner must undergo when struggling between cost of goods and labor.
Fresh Cup Magazine
The Tablet Effect - November 2012, p.49
Caragay says he does feel drawn to the always-in-your-pocket data accesibility of the cloud-based systems…
Viator Travel Blog
Charmed by Charm City: A Baltimore Weekend Guide - August 10, 2012
Finally, it’s over exquisitely poured lattes at Spro Coffee where you’ll start planning your next trip to Baltimore – because just as Fitzgerald himself wrote, you love it more than you thought, right?
Prima Coffee Equipment
What Everyone Ought to Know About Iced Coffee and Cold Brew - July 26, 2012
Jay Caragay employs cold brew towers at his Baltimore cafe, Spro Coffee, and loves that his customers enjoy the visual excitement. (Uniquely, Caragay matches coffees to brew methods, so there is no monopoly of method at Spro.)
Ideas In Food
Shave Ice Cream v3 - July 17, 2012
While there we were fortunate enough to work with Jay Caragay of Spro Hampden. Jay used to have a shave ice company and, lo and behold…
The Hill
24 Hours in Baltimore: C'mon Up Hon - June 27, 2012
By bike or automobile, make your way north (via Falls Road) to the Hampden neighborhood for a serious cup of joe. Spro, located on the area’s main drag of West 36th Street, is a coffee-lover’s haven.
Spirit of Beauties
ボルチモアでカニ三昧の日々 （その２） - May 29, 2012
この店に入ると、皆さんがウエルカムしてくれて、思ったとおり、この店の皆さん、常連の方達は、私とアレックスのことを知っていた…。じゃ～ん。 デイビッドとこの店のオーナーのJayさん。
Apartment Therapy
Ideas from a Cheerful Charm City Patio - May 24, 2012
As you make your way through the first floor, through the back room and head out to the patio, it’s quite a stark contrast. A brightly painted DIY picnic-style table sits adjacent to the raised garden bed. Modern metallic chairs are grounded in the gravel patio and…
Ulterior Epicure
travel: more dots to connect… - May 20, 2012
Espresso: every morning at Jay Caragay’s indie coffee shop, Spro, in Hampden. We did serious damage. The dude knows his coffee. He also lent Alex an ice shaver.
RoastE.com
“Best AeroPress in the U.S.” Part 2: First Attempt at Home - May 11, 2012
How did Jay (and the Spro hive mind) intend for me to figure out when I’d reached 12 oz…
RoastE.com
“Best AeroPress in the U.S.” - May 7, 2012
Early last week I blogged about how Jay Caragay had become the first ever U.S. Aeropress Champion at SCAA 2012, doing Baltimore proud and raking in some sweet prizes along the way. Writing up that post and responding to your comments made me curious about Jay’s winning recipe…
RoastE.com
Maryland Represents at SCAA 2012! - April 30, 2012
To begin with, Spro owner Jay Caragay (of Baltimore) became the first ever U.S. Aeropress Champion. He’s listed on the USAC site as a last-minute entrant, so maybe there’s an interesting story behind Jay’s decision to throw his hat into the ring.
USAeroPress.com
Jay's Winning Recipe - April 25, 2012
Spro's recipe that won the 2012 United States AeroPress Championship.
Trazzler.com
Geeking Out with Your Science-Lab Coffee at Spro in Baltimore - April 2, 2012
Baltimore’s Spro is two parts test kitchen to one part coffee house, and with no music other than the buzzing of the burr grinders, the reverent atmosphere is also part church.
Huffington Post
9 Reasons To Visit Baltimore This Spring (Or Anytime) - March 30, 2012
Lately, though, Hampden seems to be moving with the times, as young and hip types settle in on the main drag, 36th Street, bringing new businesses like Spro Coffee – come in for a pour-over, single-estate, locally-roasted whatever…
Huffington Post
Baltimore Brews Up A Home-Grown Coffee Scene - March 27, 2012
What is different about Baltimore’s coffee renaissance is that it has percolated less through the corporate culture of selling high-end brews to rich people than through home town pride.
Refinery 29
Explore Baltimore’s Hippest Hood with our Go-To Guide - March 21, 2012
“Progressive American Coffee” is this joint’s tagline, and right they are — the brews at Spro are good enough to make the most adamant coffee-hater sing a different tune.
TravelBlat.com
A Travel Guide of My (and My Macbook's) Favorite Coffee Shops In America - March 19, 2012
Spro is another East Coast smash hit. The people at Spro Coffee are so humble that it literally took me a half an hour just to find this picture of their logo. I’ll warn you though, don’t let their humble tendencies fool you, they are easily the best coffee shop anywhere in Baltimore, MD. Spro has perfectly portioned cup sizes, impeccable espresso, friendly baristas and a killer atmosphere.
BestCollegesOnline.com
Top 25 College Coffee Shops in the Country - January 27, 2012
For excellent coffee served by knowledgeable baristas, students head to Spro for some of the best ‘spro in Baltimore. Employees take their time crafting the honey macchiato and black oolong tea. It’s a straightforward local joint that simply serves great coffee.
Furnace Hills Coffee.com
Ten Most Influential Coffee People - February 2012
#4 Jay – Spro Hampden: Spro Coffee House in the Hampden area of Baltimore, MD is a third wave coffee shop. Jay is the owner of Spro. He’s a great guy and will sit and talk coffee with you for a long time. I’ve come to love the whole third wave experience from Jay.
The Hill.com
24 Hours in Baltimore: C'mon up hon - January 27, 2012
Spro, located on the area’s main drag of West 36th Street, is a coffee-lover’s haven. It offers beans from several roasters and a choice of a half-dozen different brew methods.
GQ Magazine
Chef Spike Gjerde’s Guide to Baltimore - January 23, 2012
There’s a great little shop up on 36th, and I forget how it started, but I can order a “spikiatto” there. The spikiatto is a single shot espresso and a single macchiato.
The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore’s High End Coffee Scene is not your average Joe - January 23, 2012
In Hampden, two-year old Spro is challenging traditional notions of how to make coffee, offering customers a choice of a half-dozen types of beans brewed any of seven different ways.
A Jumbled Little World
Baltimore - Some Communists and Some Coffee – January 14, 2012
Spro Coffee boasts the most impressive selection of coffee types and brew methods that I have ever seen. You can have your cup made by Aeropress, Chemex, Clever, Eva solo, french press, pour over, Vac Pot, or espresso. However, it is quite expensive...
Baltimore Fishbowl
Sit, Relax, Sip in Hampden – December 19, 2011
Feel free to judge me, coffee snobs. But…when I can, I love to go to the fabulous Spro Coffee on the Avenue in Hampden.
NPR.org
'Diva' Beans, Pests and Plagues Make For A Pricey Joe – November 20, 2011
...and there's bad news for those of you who like the fancier brews, from Starbucks to Blue Bottle and Spro, in addition to those of you who prefer Maxwell House.
City Feed & Supply
Pulling Together: City Feed Baristas at MANE Conference – November 1, 2011
“For those of you who don’t know who Jay Caragay is, he’s Baltimore’s finest, the owner and barista at Spro and Spro Hampden, two shops known for their quality and unconventional approach to the coffee experience. . .he said something that changed the way I view eating and drinking altogether…
Travel & Leisure
America’s Coolest Coffeehouses – November 2011
Each cup is made to order, and it’s all up to you. First, choose your roast from a rotating menu of curated beans, then select your brewing device from seven choices ranging from a French press to a futuristic lab vacuum siphon thingy.
Dos Senoritas y Mas
Battle of the Coffee Shops – October 9, 2011
I’m not sure why i felt the need to visit two coffee shops back to back, but I’d never been to spro and heard really good things, so I figured I might as well. it was certainly cool inside – lots of fancy coffee making equipment…
RoastE.com
The Extra Culinary – October 5, 2011
Quiche, anyone? Spro’s owner is a true foodie, so this one doesn’t come as much of a shock.
The Washington Post
National Coffee Day: How To Get The Best Cup – September 29, 2011
And see how Jay Caragay, fellow coffee geek and owner of Spro in Baltimore, arrives on the best cup for his customers.
Stone Hill Farm
Spro Hampden – September 28, 2011
Any given Saturday morning you can find Uncle Charlie down the street on The Avenue having coffee at Spro. It is “his” place. He should really be writing this post.
City Paper
Best Coffee Shop 2011 – September 21, 2011
Yes, it’s all a bit precious: the prodigious beverage menu, the coffee made to order by the cup, the tall glass apparatus that wouldn’t look out of place in a chemistry lab through which brown liquid slowly drips. But walk by early or surprisingly late…
Towson Patch
Tyler Waldman – New Ownership Brewing for Spro Coffee – September 20, 2011
Your latte isn’t going anywhere, but it will be coming under a new name. Spro, the coffee shop inside the Towson library, will soon turn into BB’s Cafe,
possibly by the end of the month.
Parkville Patch
Lisa Lance - Who’s Who in Brews: Towson’s Top Coffee Shops – June 2011
The third-floor bridge between the Towson Library and the building’s adjoining parking garage may be the last place you’d expect to finda great cup of coffee. But The Spro Coffee of Towson serves a swanky cup in this most unpretentious place.
Specialty Coffee Retailer
Jack Groot -Jack’s Blend – July 1, 2011
I found one class amongst the offerings that fit both prerequisites: “Craft Brewing by Hand in a Café Environment.” The current industry focus on craft brewing combined with listening to those who have “been there-done that” led me to the class. Jay Caragay, owner of Spro Coffee in Baltimore, put on the class.
Barista Magazine Pasteboard
Ken Olsen - WBC Coffee Tour – May 30, 2011
The first big surprise came when we reached our first stop and found coffee at a high-end cafe in the middle of a finca named San Alberto served by wandering
American baristas Scott Conary and Jay Caragay.
Examiner.com
Fatema Kazim -
Spro Serves Quality Coffee From Around The World, May 18, 2011
Spro is the most interesting coffee shop I have visited in Baltimore. With two locations in Towson and Hampden, they feature intriguing coffee from all around the world – literally.
City’sBest.com
Libby Zay - What’s In Your Cup? Try These Community Coffee Houses – May 10, 2011
Proudly serving “progressive American coffee” to anyone who will drink it up, this Hampden shop lets customers choose how they want coffee brewed. Options range from a French Press to a Vac Pot.
Dear Coffee, I Love You.
SCAA Expo 2011 – Day 2 – May 1, 2011
My second day of the SCAA Expo began with a lecture titled “Craft Brewing by Hand in a Café Environment.” The session consisted of 4 industry professionals discussing their individual brew-by-the-cup environments and their advice on creating or switching to a similar program.
Fresh Cup Magazine
Chris Ryan – A Taste of the Action, p. 47- April 2011
And if anyone knows about change when it comes to coffee and food, it’s Caragay, who crafted one of the most memorable signature beverages in barista competition history. He served the drink – celery root, lobster cream and espresso with chopped cold lobster tail meat and garnished with grated Oregon black truffles - at the 2009 United States Barista Championship and at his shop.
The Washington Post
Martha Thomas – Jay Caragay, Coffee Obsessive, April 6, 2011
The first time Anthony Rue met him, Jay Caragay was serving lobster bisque espresso at a national barista competition in Portland, Ore., where Rue was a judge. Rue was impressed, to say the least. “It tasted more like an amuse-bouche at a really nice restaurant than a coffee drink,” he recalls.
Baltimore Magazine
Edited by Evan Serpick – The Ultimate Neighborhood Guide, April 2011, p.121
“Satisfying and hearty,” says Martin Kasey, barista at Spro Coffee, who likes the pulled pork with spinach and carrots.
abc2news.com
Paying Top Dollar For A Top Shelf Cup of Coffee – March 22, 2011
Most of us may pay anywhere from $2 to $4 for our coffee when we’re on the run, but if you’re in Hampden and in the mood, you may want to swing by Spro
and indulge. There you can find a cup of coffee that’s about high-dollar as it can get… $14 for a single cup.
Examiner.com
Tamar Fleishman - It’s Spro’s Birthday and They Have $1 Coffee Today!, March 19, 2011
Hurry, hurry, hurry — many of the flavors are running out — but today is Spro’s 1st anniversary in Hampden and here’s your chance to try some of their exotic coffees for $1!
Charm City Cook
sit, relax, sip in hampden – February 8, 2011
don’t get me wrong, i actually am happy to grab some quick caffeine from starbucks, dunkin’ donuts and even rool farms sometimes. feel free to judge me, coffee snobs. but…when i can, i love to go to the fabulous spro coffee on the avenue in hampden.
Barista Magazine
Spike Gjerde & Allie Caran - The Restaurant & The Barista, p. 59- February/March 2011
We set up a little training center in a storage room, and Jay Caragay of Spro Coffee helped me practice.