MELBOURNE, Australia – Entries for the 2017 Australian International Coffee Awards (AICA) are now open, with the announcement that in response to industry trends, innovation and consumer interests, a new immersion coffee class will replace the previous plunger and syphon classes.
The ‘Clever Coffee Dripper’ will also be utilised to brew immersion coffee entries, with industry feedback indicating the method allows for clean and consistent brewing.
Melissa Caia, a World Coffee Events certified sensory judge for the World Barista Championship and Manager of The Coffee Academy will guide an expert judging panel as newly appointed Head Judge of the AICA, and says the use of the new brewing method will provide Judges with an even more consistent sample of each coffee during tasting.
“It is really critical during judging that we have the best brewing techniques, equipment and baristas to make sure that judges can accurately assess each coffee against the set criteria, and it really cements the credibility of the awards,” said Ms Caia.
In keeping with the high quality of brewing throughout the competition, 2015 Queensland Barista Champion and Technical Operations Manager of Pullman Espresso accessories, Adam Metelmann has been appointed Head Barista for the 2017 competition, leading a team of specially selected professionals.
The AICA is the first and only international coffee roasting competition in Australia, receiving 658 entries from 143 local and international coffee roasters in 2016, including coffees from New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, USA and UK.
Participants in the awards can benchmark their products against industry standards, receive feedback from independent industry experts, market their coffee with a seal of quality that a medal or trophy represents and promote their products through associated events.
Entries are open from today until Friday 24 February and can be completed online at rasv.com.au.
2017 Key Dates
Entries Close: Friday 24 February 2017
Deliveries: Monday 6 – Tuesday 7 March 2017
Judging: Wednesday 8 – Friday 10 March 2017
Awards Presentation: Wednesday 29 March 2017
