Following a fantastic 2017 event in Seoul, the World Barista Championship (WBC) now heads to Amsterdam from 20-23 June, 2018, taking place at the World of Coffee Amsterdam show at RAI centre.
2018 is the 19th year of the championship, which recognizes the highest levels of barista professionals, and their mastery and innovation in coffee service.
This year nearly 60 competitors from around the world will come together in Amsterdam to show off their skills and represent their coffee communities. Fans can watch live, in-person by buying a ticket to World of Coffee, or watch the stream live online at worldbaristachampionship.org.
In addition, after pausing to implement a new, more in-depth site selection process, World Coffee Events is pleased to announce that the 2019 WBC will take place along with the 2019 World Brewers Cup at the Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston April 11-14, with World of Coffee Berlin hosting the 2019 World Latte Art Championship, World Coffee In Good Spirits Championship, World Cup Tasters Championship, and Cezve/Ibrik Championship the 8th through 10th of June.
The World Barista Championship is a global gathering of coffee communities, supported by certified world judges and hundreds of event volunteers who generously contribute their dedication and time.
The competitors all use a common set of sponsored equipment, with espresso machines provided by Victoria Arduino, grinders by Mahlkönig, cleaning products by Urnex, and water prepared by Pentair Everpure.
These sponsors join dozens of other companies large and small in helping support this competition, which is produced by World Coffee Events, a subsidiary of the Specialty Coffee Association.
In the World Barista Championship, competitors will each prepare three drink courses for judges using coffee(s) of their choosing: the espresso course, showcasing flavor and accuracy in shots of espresso; the milk drink course, where the competitor balances an espresso with milk, in the style and volume of their choosing; and the signature drink course, where competitors can do most anything they want, as long as it has espresso and they prepare it live—you never know what a signature drink might include, from infusions and syrups, to mists and distillations, to unique ceramics and garnishes.
Each competitor has 15 minutes to present these three courses in whatever order and approach they think best represents the greatest possibilities of specialty coffee. The presentations are scored on many different sensory and technical points, with 16 competitors advancing into the semi-final round, and 6 into the final, with the winner being crowned the World Barista Champion for the year.
World of Coffee is an annual coffee trade show, started by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, and now produced by the unified Specialty Coffee Association.
The show is dedicated to supporting coffee professionals by bringing the best of the specialty coffee world together for trade, education, community. The trade show takes place the 21-23 of June—please note that the World Barista Championship opens on the 20th of June, one day before the main show.
For more information, head to worldbaristachampionship.org, where you can find schedules, videos, and profiles of each competitor telling you in their own words about the incredible coffee journeys.
