Seattle’s Best Coffee, a subsidiary of Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co., and TV chef Jeff Mauro searched the United States for this year’s most imaginative new coffee drink and have narrowed it down to six finalists. The duo’s contest, the Red Cup Showdown, now is calling on American Facebook users to vote by Aug. 22 for this year’s winner. 

As part of the coast-to-coast contest, Mauro and Seattle’s Best visited county fairs and searched Facebook to find a new drink craze that could be featured at Seattle’s Best Coffee locations across North America. The grand prize winner also will receive $10,000.

The finalists include the following beverages:

·         Hot Caramel Apple Coffee by Liz Cochrane of Lodi, Calif.: A hot coffee drink that combines Level 4 Seattle’s Best Coffee with the nostalgic flavors of candy apples.

·         Orange Blossom Morning by Karen Haldeman of Cincinnati: A hot coffee drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee with a zesty orange kick.

·         Chocolate Razz Treat by Barbara Strahler of Reedsburg, Wis.: A blended coffee drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee, raspberries and dark chocolate.

·         Café Mocha en Fuego by Anthony Karas of Chatham, Ill.: A hot coffee drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee with spices and rich chocolate flavor.

·         How to Win a Guy with One Sip by Eileen Gannon of Des Moines: A hot drink that combines Level 5 Seattle’s Best Coffee with caramelized bacon and subtle hints of pumpkin pie spice.

·         Coconut-Caramel Coffee Freeze by Camilla Saulsbury of Nacogdoches, Texas: A blended iced coffee drink with 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,” Mauro said in a statement. “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.”