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Seattle's Best Coffee invites America to cast their votes to help name the winner of the 'Red Cup Showdown' -- a coast-to-coast search to find the most imaginative new coffee drink. The vote is open now through Aug. 22 on the Seattle's Best Coffee Facebook page. (Photo: Business Wire)

SEATTLE (BUSINESS WIRE), August 20, 2012 - After traveling thousands of miles and reviewing hundreds of recipes, Seattle's Best Coffee and TV Chef Jeff Mauro have found the top six new coffee drink ideas in the nation. Now it's time for America to vote on Facebook for their favorite to help name the winner of the Red Cup Showdown -- a coast-to-coast search at state fairs and on Facebook to find the most imaginative new coffee drink. The grand prize winner will be awarded with $10,000 and the chance to have their beverage featured at Seattle’s Best Coffee locations across North America. The vote is open now through Aug. 22 on the Seattle’s Best Coffee Facebook page.

The blue-ribbon-winning finalists include:

• Hot Caramel Apple Coffee: Liz Cochrane of Lodi, Calif., took home the first-ever Red Cup Showdown blue ribbon at the California State Fair for her hot coffee drink that combines Level 4 Seattle’s Best Coffee® with the nostalgic flavors of a favorite fall treat, candy apples. Watch Liz win here.
• Orange Blossom Morning: Karen Haldeman of Cincinnati squeezed out the competition at the Ohio State Fair with her hot coffee drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee® with a zesty orange kick. Watch Karen win here.
• Chocolate Razz Treat: Barbara Strahler of Reedsburg, Wis., was the big cheese of the Wisconsin State Fair for her blended coffee drink that combines favorite flavors – Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee®, raspberries and dark chocolate. Watch Barbara win here.
• Café Mocha en Fuego: Anthony Karas of Chatham, Ill., torched the competition at the Illinois State Fair with his hot coffee drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee® with spices and rich chocolate flavor. Watch Anthony win here.
• How to Win a Guy with One Sip: Eileen Gannon of Des Moines took home the bacon at the Iowa State Fair for her hot drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee® with the unexpected flavors of caramelized bacon and subtle hints of pumpkin pie spice.
• Coconut-Caramel Coffee Freeze: Camilla Saulsbury of Nacogdoches, Texas, won the Facebook competition for her blended iced coffee drink inspired by the flavors of a tropical vacation – Vanilla Seattle’s Best Coffee®, caramel, coconut and tropical spice.

“A big congratulations to our six finalists and everyone who brought their coffee creativity to the Red Cup Showdown judges’ table,” said TV Chef and Red Cup Showdown Judge Jeff Mauro. “The competitors really stepped up to the challenge by bringing never-tasted-before flavor combinations, fierce competition and a lot of heart for Seattle’s Best Coffee.”

Visit the Seattle’s Best Coffee Facebook page for recipe inspiration stories.

Red Cup Showdown Finalists and Grand Prize Winner

A panel of judges selected the finalists based on use of Seattle’s Best Coffee®, appetite appeal, uniqueness and the story behind the coffee drink idea. Five finalists were named from the state fair competitions, one per state, and one finalist was named from a Facebook contest. The grand prize winner will be determined through a combination of Facebook votes and the vote of the judging panel at a live coffee making competition in New York on Aug. 23. In New York, the six finalists will compete head-to-head to create their coffee drinks for the judging panel comprised of TV Chef Jeff Mauro and Seattle's Best Coffee judges. Each of the six finalists won a trip for two to New York City to compete for the grand prize, $500 and free Seattle’s Best Coffee for a year.

About Seattle’s Best Coffee

Seattle’s Best Coffee LLC has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and millions of cups of our coffee are served every day. A freshly-brewed cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee is currently available in more than 50,000 locations including cafes, college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, grocery stores and movie theatres. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX). For more information, please visit Seattle’s Best Coffee online at www.seattlesbest.com, become a member of the coffee community at www.facebook.com/SeattlesBestCoffee or follow Seattle’s Best Coffee on Pinterest for unique coffee inspiration at www.pinterest.com/seattlesbest. For information about our retail franchise opportunity, please visit www.seattlesbest.com.

About Jeff Mauro

Jeff Mauro, winner of the seventh season of Food Network Star, graduated from California’s Hollywood Kitchen Academy, and has worked in the food industry since high school in various roles, including line cook, caterer and chef instructor. After pursuing a career as an entertainer and comedian in Los Angeles, Jeff returned to Chicago to spend time doing what he loves: cooking. His down-to-earth personality coupled with his comic skills make a great combination in the kitchen. In his Food Network cooking show, Sandwich King, Jeff proves you can turn any meal into a sandwich and any sandwich into a delicious meal.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50382679&lang=en

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