VIENNA – The Vienna Coffee Festival is not only a place for innovation and exchange but also a melting pot for coffee lovers and professionals. Established in 2015, this year’s event marked the 10th anniversary of the festival. For an entire weekend, visitors were able to sample various types of coffee, learn new preparation methods, discover fascinating insights about the power of the coffee bean, and even try their hand at making coffee. The festival has long become a central meeting point for the international coffee community.
The exhibitors – many of them small but innovative roasteries – offered visitors a platform for exciting coffee discoveries, professional exchange, and entertainment.
The power of the bean: expertise & events
Creative coffee minds like Martin Wölfl, who won the world championship title in the filter coffee category in Chicago this spring, play a significant role in the festival’s growth, attracting an audience that appreciates the fascinating world of coffee.
Their passion for spreading knowledge and promoting coffee culture is evident. Naturally, the “Wild Coffee” stand with world champion Wölfl behind the counter was particularly popular this year. Owner Leonhard “Hardi” Wild: “I’ve been participating in the Coffee Festival since 2015, and this year was certainly one of the best. The atmosphere, the people, the colleagues – simply unique.”
Highlights this year included the “Guided Coffee Tour,” where coffee expert Peter Scheiber (“El Kaffee”) took visitors on a journey through the world of coffee beans.
Philipp Wanivenhaus (“Vettore”) impressed with the traditional preparation using the iconic Moka pot, demonstrating how this method highlights the unique aromas of the coffee. The “Over the Rainbow” workshop, led by master bakers Eric Bock and Ewald Kaiser, where participants made the festival’s signature rainbow bagel, was also particularly popular.
Vienna Coffee Award Celebrates Premiere
For the first time, the “Vienna Coffee Award” was presented at the festival – a collaboration between the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (Coffeehouse Group) and the festival. Personalities and companies were honored in eight categories for their contributions to Vienna’s coffee culture. The winners were:
- Kaffee Alt Wien (Best Traditional Viennese Coffeehouse)
- Café Falk (Best Classic Coffeehouse)
- ELOU (Best Modern Coffeehouse)
- GOTA Coffee Experts (Best Coffeeshop)
- Grey Coffee (Newcomer)
- Coffee Pirates (Best Roastery)
- Martin Wölfl (Best Barista)
- Oliver Goetz (Special Jury Prize)
Exhibitors from home and aAbroad
The Vienna Coffee Festival attracted exhibitors not only from Austria but also from abroad. In addition to Italy, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, two young “wild ones” from Paris, “People Possession,” who discovered the festival through an event
in Bucharest, were also present. “We immediately thought – we have to be there. Our main market is in the UK, but this festival is incredibly enriching in terms of networking. And Austria has also become an important market as interest in coffee continues to grow.”
Cup tasting national champion Marion Hagleitner
At the Vienna Coffee Festival, the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) also held the 2024 National Cup Tasting Championship. Viennese Marion Hagleitner, participating for the first time, took home the victory and will represent Austria at the World Championships in Geneva in June 2025. Michael Manhart, chairman of SCA Austria: “The competition, the stage we had – it was wonderful, I’ve never seen a better event!”
