Brittney Gross, coffee director and business partner at Sweetspire Coffee in Williamsport, placed second in the annual US Coffee Cup Tasting Championship competition hosted in Raleigh, North Carolina this year during the weekend of March 26-29.

According to a news release, this competition challenges coffee experts from around the country to test their sensory skills in a coffee triangulation challenge. Gross earned second place in a field of 48 behind returning champion Mehmet Sogan.

The US Cup Tasting Championship is one segment of the US Coffee Championships, a yearly competition “focused on the professional development of coffee industry professionals designed to showcase the excellence and innovation in the coffee,” the news release said. “Other competitions throughout the year focus on barista skills, brewing, latte art, mixology and roasting.”

This is Gross’ third year time competing in the national competition and second year finishing runner up. While a native of New York, Gross graduated from Lycoming College and developed a passion for coffee through the Warrior Coffee program at the college. After several years of working as a wholesale coffee roaster in New England, Gross returned to Williamsport to found Sweetspire Coffee & Bakery with business partners Caroline Payne and Nate Steele in October 2025.

“It’s great to see the hard work producing results,” Gross said in reference to her training regiment.

In preparation for this competition, she conditions her palate through daily practice in coffee triangulation. Coffee triangulation challenges the individual to taste three cups of coffee that are nearly identical and discern which one is not like the others.

“You have to learn to taste very subtle differences, very quickly,” Gross added, according to the news release.

The competition includes a time element, so the competitors must work swiftly through their triangulations. At this time Gross plans to compete again in 2027 and wants to come back with first place.