Today is Day Two of Round One of the US Brewers Cup here in beautiful Hotlana, and these brewers have taken the city’s sobriquet to heart. It’s been hot, hot, hot! 12 of the 37 competitor field will perform today in hopes of earning one of the coveted six spots for Sunday’s Finals.
In years past, the first round involved competitors completing both a compulsory and open service. During the compulsory service, competitors would prepare coffee with whole bean coffee provided to them by the competition. The compulsory has been nixed at the US Competition in 2016.
Instead, we plow right into the “open service” component and witness as they prepare coffee with any coffee of their choice, and along with brewing, give a full presentation in front of the panel of judges.
We’re diving deep here, folks, live-blogging the second day of the three-day first round component of the 2016 Brewers Cup (and the 2016 US Barista Championship here). Stick around, we’ll be posting updates here all day long.
Brewers Cup Coverage is made possible by Acaia Coffee. All 2016 coverage on Sprudge Live is supported by KitchenAid Craft Coffee Brewers and Urnex Brands.
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 7
Number of Competitions Competed In: 1
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event: Top 25
Coffee: Panama Esmeralda Geisha
Brew Method: Kalita-style brewer
Flavor: Honey covered papaya, citrus acidity balanced with intense sweetness. Stone fruit qualities with nice delicate floral notes.
Does your routine have a theme?
What makes coffee great?
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition? 100+
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
Its a team effort at Kickapoo Coffee Roasters, but I’ve been going about most of the prep solo and with the help of our Director of Coffee Caleb Nicholes.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
23 and have been roasting coffee professionally for the last 6 years. I currently work in QC and Customer Support. I love coffee because its a convergence of several things I’m passionate about: travel, social justice, culinary nerdery, and working with people.
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 4
Number of Competitions Competed In: 1
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event: 22nd
Coffee: Panama Silvia Geisha from Ninety Plus
Brew Method: Full immersion technique (hybrid of my own design)
Water: distilled water with reintroduced magnesium, calcium, and sodium
Recipe:
15:1 brew ratio
Shift 11g fines from a #18 sieve and 4g from a #25 sieve.
Hard stir at 1:30 and 3:30
5:00 total brew time
Flavor: Floral, Lemon/Lime Acidity, Stone Fruit, Peach, Pomegranate, Clean Berry Finish
Body: medium light body
Does your routine have a theme?
It is based on the fact that consumers spend their money to have an experience rather then to just buy a product. So how do we enhance our customers experience. I believe that by focusing on and challenging what we know to be 1. Quality and 2. Consistency we will enhance that experience.
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition? 100+
Do you have a coach/coaches?
Tell us about them! Jon French – (Also competing in Barista) Is a Seattle transplant now living in Reno (working for Old World). Josiah Hejny a manager of Old World Coffee.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
We really wanted to challenge things that we know about what is normal or what good coffee is. So we did a lot of unorthodox things such as crafting water buying the raw minerals and making sure those were balanced to each other to get the very best extraction.
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: Brewing terribly since the 90s, ok since 2014
Number of Competitions Competed In: 1
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event: 12th in Eastern
Coffee: Finca Nuguo from Panama, roasted by Counter Culture
Brew Method: Espro Press
Recipe:
19g coffee to 300g water
5:30 total brew time
Aroma: sweet, soft floral, rose
Flavor: lime, honeydew, caramelized sugar
Body: soft up front, juicy at the end
Does your routine have a theme?
Knowledge sharing and accessibility.
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition? Um, a lot.
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
His name is Evan Howe. He is great.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
I am a complicated lady and I had a couple drinks before completing this survey.
Coffee: Blend of washed Colombia and Panama Geshas
Brew Method: Bonavita Immersion Brewer
Recipe:
17g coffee to 263ml water
Aroma: peach, orange blossom
Flavor: peach, green grape, mandarin, with a black tea aftertaste
Body: juicy, medium intensity
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 6
Number of Competitions Competed In: 3
Big Central Brewers Cup: 3rd (2013), 3rd (2015)
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event: 2nd in East
Coffee: SL-28 Lactic Fermentation from La Palma y El Tucan in Cundinamarca, Colombia
Brew Method: Kalita Wave
Water: Low alkalinity, 150 ppm at 205°F
Recipe:
19.3g coffee to 290g water
Sift out fines
Flavor: Apricots, mandarin orange, brown sugar, whole milk, honey crisp apple. Melted candy.
Does your routine have a theme?
Experiencing something exotic in the everyday
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition? 60? A lot.
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
Not coaches exactly, but lots of great help and feedback from Kate Blackman, Dean Kallivrousis, Holly Bastin, Tyler Rovenstine and Tracy Allen, Marty and Tooti Roe at About the Coffee, and the whole crew at Oddly Correct.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
I live in midtown KC with my wife and 3 daughters. I enjoy spending time with them, playing drums, riding bikes, and eating great food. I take quality and coffee seriously, but not myself.
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 1.75
Number of Competitions Competed In: 1
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event: 6th in East
Coffee: a special blend of coffees from Colombia, Bolivia, Burundi (and possibly Ethiopia) specifically for the competition. A super blend.
Brew Method: Kalita Wave
Recipe:
16:1 brew ratio
each of the components in the blend ground to different particle sizes to alter the extraction specific for each coffee.
Aroma: orange blossom, marmalade
Flavor: jasmine, blackberry, lime, kiwi, and toffee
Body: round, plush
Does your routine have a theme? Blending. Blending. Blending.
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition?
(4×6) + (2.5×4) – (3.5×1.5) + 16= ???(hrs)
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
Jesse Raub – likes to wear puffy vests.
Jacque DesMarais – goes to the same barbershop as me.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
I like Batman.
Coffee: Washed Panama Jurrtungo Geisha
Brew Method: Hario v60
Recipe:
15g coffee to 255g water
2:15 total brew time
Aroma: canteloupe, marzipan, and clove
Flavor: lemongrass, fresh apricot, and black tea
Body: delicate and tea-like
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 5
Number of Competitions Competed In: 2
2013 Northwest Regional Brewers up
2016 US Brewers Cup Qualifying Event
Coffee: Finca La Estrella from Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia, grown at 2050MASL. 100% Caturra, mixed four day fermentation.
Brew Method: Kalita Wave
Recipe:
Sifted using two sieves at 1180um and 300um.
Slow and controlled pulse pours.
Flavor: Rhubarb jam, lime, with a Lambrusco-like finish
Does your routine have a theme?
Intentionality and terroir
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition?
Approximately 80-100
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
My fellow trainer Kris and our lead roaster Clark, both have been helping me since last November in preparing for the QE and now nationals.
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
I work as a trainer and coffee educator for Toby’s Estate in Brooklyn, NY. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to learn from incredibly talented coffee pros in Seattle and SF before moving to Brooklyn in 2014.
Coffee: A Panama Geisha from Finca Nuogo
Brew Method: 8 cup Chemex
Recipe:
24g coffee to 385g water
3:30 total brew time
Aroma: floral and honey
Flavor: sweet lime, marzipan, and ripe peach
Body: silky and syrupy
Coffee: Panama Hacienda La Esmerelda Geisha Natural
Brew Method: Kalita Wave
Recipe:
22g coffee to 350g water
3:30 total brew time
Aroma: strawberry, elderflower, honeysuckle
Flavor: strawberry, blackcurrant, watermelon
Body: silky
Number of Years as a Coffee Brewer: 12
Number of Competitions Competed In: 6
Western Regional Brewers Cup: 4th (2011), 2nd (2013)
US Brewers Cup: 3x (2012, 2014, 2015)
Coffee: a Geisha from Acatenango, Guatemala from Finca Monte de Oro Magma
Brew Method: Kalita 102 Dripper
Recipe:
28g coffee to 275g water
grind coarsely
2:20 total brew time
Flavor: white peach, black berry, red stone fruit, brown sugar
Does your routine have a theme?
passion of farmer, producer, roaster, and barista
How many hours total do you think you’ve practiced for this competition? 200
Do you have a coach/coaches? Tell us about them!
My coaches are James Choi and Diego Kim
Is there anything else you want to tell us? We’d love to learn more about you.
This coffee took 5 years get to here… so you can see the results of our Passion.
Coffee: Yemen Mazra’t Kulaib natural
Brew Method: Kalita Wave
Recipe:
20g coffee to 340g water
3:45 total brew time
Aroma: raw honey, strawberry, black tea
Flavor: jammy strawberry, oolong tea
Body: full and creamy finish
Thanks for tuning in today. We’ll be back tomorrow to cover Day Three of Round One of the US Brewers Cup!
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