The Story
Sweet Bloom was founded by Andy Sprenger in 2013, established in 2013 after spending a decade in the specialty coffee industry, he returned to his hometown of Lakewood, Colorado to start a new chapter in his coffee career . Before entering coffee, Andy Sprenger and his wife, Laurel, worked in wetland conservation in Lebanon, tracking birds and sharpening skills in observation—skills Andy later translated into the sensory world of coffee . After returning to the U.S. in 2003, he joined Ceremony Coffee in Maryland, rising from barista to award-winning roaster , earning impressive credentials including two U.S. Brewers Cup Champion titles, World Brewers Cup runner-up, 2013 U.S. Aeropress Champion, and 2014 U.S. Cup Tasters runner-up .
The flagship Lakewood location, established in 2013, is a testament to Sweet Bloom’s commitment to quality, with roasting and sourcing at its core. Opening in January 2014, the flagship location of Sweet Bloom was designed with roasting and sourcing at its center, prioritizing the story behind each coffee and in-store relationships . Initially, it operated as a true family business, with Laurel’s botanical illustrations decorating each bag of coffee, while Andy’s nephew, Caleb, helped run the cafe and roastery . The company took a significant turn in 2019 when Sweet Bloom merged with Two Rivers Coffee, founded by Eric Yochim, a fellow enthusiast with a background in fine dining hospitality. Over time, Andy and Eric became comrades in the industry, with a shared passion for the human stories behind each coffee and an appreciation for the highest quality craftsmanship. By 2019, their complementary skill sets had evolved into a natural partnership, and the two businesses were merged under the Sweet Bloom name . In late 2020, Sweet Bloom opened its third cafe in Westminster, Colorado, celebrating a new chapter for Andy and Eric’s partnership .
Today, Andy focuses on sourcing and quality at origin, while Eric leads the cafes, sharing stories and cultivating a strong service culture . Since launching Sweet Bloom in 2013, he’s helped grow it into one of the country’s top roasters, serving cafes across the U.S. and beyond . The partnership represents a thoughtful, producer-focused coffee company rooted in quality and care , with both founders maintaining their specialized roles to serve their shared vision.
Sourcing & Relationships
Sweet Bloom’s sourcing philosophy centers on what they call the “sweet spot of freshness” – they believe coffee is at its peak when it’s freshly roasted, bursting with vibrant flavors and free from the papery off-notes that develop as green coffee ages . To achieve this, they source smaller, recently harvested lots that shine for just 1–3 months . This approach means their offerings change frequently, aligned with the harvest seasons of each coffee growing region around the world , treating coffee like the best produce, fresh off harvest and at the peak of flavor .
The roaster prioritizes relationship building over spot purchasing. Most producers, especially from Central and South America, can count on us purchasing their coffee year after year. We are proud of the fact that many of the coffees we purchase are repeat purchases, and have been for years . Their relationship standards are clearly defined: they’ve met, and have an ongoing relationship with the producer. At a minimum, they have visited us at Sweet Bloom, or we have visited them on the farm . As these partnerships deepen, they build understanding of: challenges faced from one year to the next, sustainability practices on the farm, how the farmer is caring for their staff, and ways in which they can support projects the farmers have implemented on the farm and in the community .
Sweet Bloom takes a distinctive approach to direct trade by reversing the traditional model. Rather than just visiting farms, they strive to connect coffee producers with end-consumers in meaningful ways. Our dream from the beginning was to invite the producers we do business with to Sweet Bloom, and we’ve had the privilege to host a number of producers over the years . These visits have been a special time for the producer to share their story with our retail and wholesale customers, and to experience their coffee being brewed and sold in some of the best cafes in Denver. These visits have also been deeply meaningful to our staff, and our customers who can now put a face to the name on our bags . Part of how they live that out is by giving 1% of their sales revenue back to the communities where we live, work, source coffee .
Roasting Philosophy
Sweet Bloom’s roasting approach is fundamentally driven by their commitment to freshness and seasonal integrity. Their passion lies in roasting, selling, and serving coffee within this sweet spot of freshness . This philosophy means they avoid the trap of static offerings – because of this, our offerings never look the same , which they consider “a good thing” . The roastery operates with precision and care, focusing on selections that are fresh off harvest, with roasts that are dialed and consistent, and resulting brews that are beautiful and delicious .
Their approach to blends reflects this commitment to freshness. One reason you’ll never find Sweet Bloom offering many blends is because we are hyper focused on keeping our coffees fresh and seasonal. Blends offered year round inevitably lead to individual components growing tired and showing signs of age - which means less tasty coffee . Their signature Hometown Blend demonstrates their innovative solution to this challenge, maintaining year-round availability by using coffees from Colombia as the base of the blend at approximately 50%. The wonderful thing about Colombia is that there are two harvests per year, which means we can continually rotate fresh harvests into the blend .
Roasting, sourcing, and storytelling were at the heart of the experience from the beginning. They show care and craft in every step of coffee production, from sourcing to roasting , with Andy’s background in ornithological observation providing a unique sensory foundation. The name Sweet Bloom itself reflects their roasting philosophy, referring to two “blooms” that coffee experiences. The first is with the coffee plant itself, which grows small, white flowers when it matures. The second is when freshly roasted coffee beans are ground and infused with water, “blooming” into a true cup of coffee. Sweet Bloom understands that each of these blooms is equally important .
What to Try
Sweet Bloom’s flagship offering is their Hometown Blend, which has been a staple at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters for over a decade. Hometown represents 40 to 50 percent of Sweet Bloom’s weekly roast schedule. Hometown is year-round, so it’s become a perennial favorite . This medium roast blend combines beans from Ethiopia and Colombia to create a flavor profile highlighting the best of both regions . The blend’s composition includes coffees from Colombia as the base at approximately 50%, with years of rotating lots from the Los Naranjos and Timanco groups in Huila, Colombia. The other components are usually from Ethiopia – a washed selection at 30-35%, and a natural selection at 15-20% . Their Hometown Blend, which boasts flavors of cacao nibs, praline and blackberry , serves as their primary espresso offering.
For single origins, Sweet Bloom’s approach means constant discovery. New single origins arrive regularly , with offerings that are fresh off harvest and at the peak of flavor . Past notable offerings have included a Gesha Village Lot 96 from Ethiopia with delicate notes of lavender, mango and honey . Their catalog shows 15 coffees including Decaf Colombia, Hometown Blend, Los Naranjos, sourcing beans from Oaxaca, Mexico, Guatemala & Ethiopia, Rwanda, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Chalatenango, El Salvador .
Their subscription service offers a curated selection of our finest single-origin coffees, sourced with the harvest season, freshly roasted and delivered straight to your door . The philosophy here aligns with their core belief: “Cherish your favorite coffee, but hold it loosely—your next favorite is likely just arriving, or will return next season” . For those seeking the full Sweet Bloom experience, their cafe operations emphasize “Generous Hospitality” that “shines through at our cafes. Our team offers warmth, exceptional fresh coffees, and a welcoming space to connect” , with locations in Lakewood (their roastery and original tasting room), Westminster, and Arvada providing different but complementary experiences for exploring their rotating selection of meticulously sourced coffees.