In the Grinder - Our Daily Coffee Weblog
World Barista Championship 2011, Bogota Colombia
June 8, 2011
This year's 2011 World Barista Championship was held for the first time in a coffee producing country, Colombia. The event was really unique and memorable in my opinion for that reason. 53 competitors from around the world came to Bogota to compete for the title.
The accompanying trade show also was different than others because in addition to the typical trade show booths one would see at coffee fest or SCAA, there were also booths for hand pulpers, chain saws, farm equipment, and growing additives. This was the first time I had ever seen a trade show geared both toward a coffee drinking audience and a coffee producing audience. It was very cool.
Our friends at Sprudge.com and Barista Magazine kept us all up to date on the latest happenings at the WBC both in and behind the scenes. Thank you guys for all of your hard work this weekend!
The attendees ranged from coffee producers like COE Colombia winning farmer Arnulfo Leguizamo to global competitors like Miki Suzuki from Japan to US roasters like the Handsome Coffee guys above.
The atmosphere was electric near the competition area, especially when a barista from a coffee producing country would take the stage. Lena Zea, the Colombian barista champion nearly took the roof off the center when she took the stage. Lena ended up making it to the semi final rounds, but just missed entering the finals by going over time by 14 seconds, resulting in a 14 point deduction. We were told from someone behind the scenes that if she didn't go over, she would have made it into the finals.
Outside of the convention center, we were able to take in a bit of the culture of Bogota by visiting the many churches around our area and also taking the gondola up to the top of Monserate, a famous religious sanctuary that sits high above Bogota. It was a very cool experience once our lungs got adjusted to being at nearly 4000 meters.
The top 6 finalists announced saturday night were:
United States: Pete Licata
United Kingdom: John Gordon
Spain: Javier Garcia
El Salvador: Alejandro Mendez
Japan: Miki Suzuki
Australia: Matt Perger
Sunday these competitors took one final crack at their routines. Everyone looked stellar and I am sure it was a tough call behind the scenes but Alejandro Mendez from Viva Espresso in El Salavador took the #1 spot. It was the first time someone from a coffee producing country has won the title of World Barista Champion, and by being on the floor during the announcement, it was clear that this moment was very special. Tears started flowing around the stadium once Alejandro's name was announced, and his team looked so incredibly proud of him. What a moment.
Alejandro will be accompanying us on our barista origin trip next month in Brazil. Cafe Imports was the official Origin Trip Sponsor for the WBC, a category we helped the SCAA develop for this year's competition cycle. We cannot wait to have him along with us!
So this may be a new age for the WBC. This is the first time all 6 finalists were 1st timers and the first time a coffee producing country wins the crown. This was an experience of a lifetime. Next year 2012 this competition will be held in Vienna Austria, and I can't wait to see who is back to compete.
-Noah
Know This
Latest Favorites
Photo Gallery
Educational Videos
Beanologies
In the Grinder - Daily Blog
