The nonprofit Alliance for Espresso Excellence (ACE) launched a preliminary schedule for its flagship Cup of Excellence (CoE) inexperienced espresso competitors and public sale program, that includes 11 coffee-producing nations in 2026.
Now in its third decade, the CoE program is designed to create market connections between espresso producers and patrons via a multi-round competitors course of culminating in on-line auctions of top-ranked microlots.
In line with the newly posted calendar, the 2026 public sale slate is closely concentrated in late June and July, starting with Nicaragua (June 25), adopted by El Salvador (July 2), Costa Rica (July 9), Honduras (July 16), Guatemala (July 23), Mexico (July 28) and Thailand (July 30). Public sale dates for the Taiwan, Peru and Brazil CoE are listed as “TBD” whereas the Indonesia public sale is ready for Nov. 26.
As was the case in 2025, the 2026 schedule doesn’t embrace Colombia, Ethiopia or Ecuador, all of which have been notable current or historic individuals in CoE. Colombia participated from 2005 to 2023, Ethiopia ran between 2020 and 2024 and Ecuador’s final CoE look was 2023.
ACE has opened 2026 public sale and pattern registration via its on-line retailer, the place pricing varies by competitors sort. For instance, CoE pattern set packages are listed at $395 for ACE members and $850 for non-members, whereas “public sale solely” registration is listed at $25 for members and $250 for non-members.
The brand new schedule follows a number of operational modifications for ACE and CoE. In March 2025, the organizations introduced a partnership with V-Public sale, a part of the Vollers Group, as their official public sale platform. In June 2024, ACE introduced a proper partnership with the Specialty Espresso Affiliation to undertake the group’s Espresso Worth Evaluation (CVA) protocols.
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