World Coffee Championships | Warsaw

Over 120 competitors will make their way to Warsaw, Poland to show their skills across four different competitions at the 2020 World Coffee Championships from June 18-20, hosted at the SCA World of Coffee show. Coffee professionals and fans will gather from around the world to watch the World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, World Cup Tasters Championship, and Cezve/Ibrik Championship.

At the World Latte Art Championship, baristas focus on artistic expression in milk beverages — first by producing a single creative latte pattern at the Art Bar, then moving to the main stage to create two identical free pour, and two identical designer lattes. After the scores from both stages are combined reveal the top 12, competitors create two matching sets of different free-pour latte patterns, and one matching set of free-pour macchiatos in a semi-finals round. The top six competitors qualify for the final round, where competitors make two different matching sets of free-pour latte patterns, and one matching set of designer lattes.

Sharing the stage is the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, which promotes innovation and creativity in beverages including both coffee and alcohol. The preliminary round is split into a stage round, where competitors produce two identical hot drinks, and two identical cold drinks, and the Spirit Bar round. The six competitors with the highest preliminary round scores will compete in the final round, where competitors produce two Irish Coffees and two coffee-and-alcohol-based designer drinks. We’re excited to present the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship with title sponsor, Licor 43.

The World Cup Tasters Championship awards the professional coffee tasters who demonstrate speed, skill, and accuracy in discerning taste differences in specialty coffees. There are distinct taste characteristics of coffee based on factors including geography and processing. The objective is for the taster to discriminate between the different coffees. Three cups are placed in a triangle: two identical coffees and one different. Using skills of smell, taste, and experience, the taster identifies the odd cup in the triangle as quickly as possible for eight total triangles in each round. The top 8 competitors with the most correct answers and the fastest time proceed to the semi-finals round. The remaining top 4 compete in the finals round to reveal the 2020 World Cup Tasters Champion!

The Cezve/Ibrik Championship celebrates the history of the cezve or ibrik, and the skills and understanding needed to prepare and serve each cup. Competitors are encouraged to present their own unique cultural flair to their routine. Using sand or gas as a heating source, competitors have 15 minutes in round one and the finals to prepare a simple cezve/ibrik, and a signature cezve/ibrik that complements the quality of the brewed coffee.

The finalists from each competition will earn the brand new title of All-Stars for 2019 — travelling the world to share their coffee skills and knowledge.

World of Coffee show-goers will also have the chance to experience the WLAC Art Bar, WCIGS Spirit Bar, along with the Brew and Espresso Bars.

Registration for the 2020 Warsaw World Coffee Championships and World of Coffee will open soon.