BOGOTA, Colombia – Thanks to his technique, skills and creativity in preparing espressos, cappuccinos and cacao and honey-based coffee, Mauricio Romero is now the X Colombian Barista Champion.
Mauricio, who participated on behalf of the brand Azahar Coffee, will represent Colombia in the 2016 World Barista Championship in Dublin, Ireland.
The Colombian Barista Championship pays tribute to Colombian coffee and acknowledges the skill, ingenuity and passion of the men and women who transform coffee beans into a perfect, intense and aromatic beverage. The tradition behind the competition has been steadily growing year after year.
“When I heard my name, I couldn’t believe it. I’m honored and excited to receive this recognition. It’s a great responsibility to represent Colombian baristas in the World Championship. I intend to showcase Colombian coffee in the best possible way,” noted Mauricio.
Mauricio prepared 12 different varieties of Quindío origin coffee and used cacao and honey for his signature drink. As he pointed out, his goal was to highlight his region’s identity and support 51 families from Apartadó whose livelihoods depend on cacao production.
“I used the Castillo naranjal variety, which comes from coffee growing regions such as Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle. Its a coffee leaf rust resistant variety with higher productivity, ideal for combining the ingredients I selected,” said Mauricio.
The final round of the X Colombian Barista Championship began on Thursday October 15th. Ronald Valero from Juan Valdez and Diego Campos from Amor Perfecto came in second and third place, respectively.
The panel of judges was made up of one international judge, a special guest from Russia and 27 domestic judges.
As the jury noted, “The barista profession is growing steadily in Colombia. As a result, each year it gets harder to select the top Colombian baristas.”
