U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

A Recap of The Barista League’s Mystery Coffee Vacation in Colombia

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An Unfiltered History of Vietnamese Coffee

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Philadelphia’s Café Don Pedro Seeks to Build Up Small Businesses

A Dominican-owned coffee roasting company called Café Don Pedro recently launched in Philadelphia with ambitions for direct trading and boosting more Latino-owned small businesses throughout its supply and distribution networks….


Why it’s easier for wealthier producers to grow specialty coffee

It takes money – and sometimes a lot – to grow specialty coffee. Producers not only need to continuously maintain and improve quality and yields, but they also have to invest back into their farms. Whether it’s replacing equipment and machinery or planting more resilient varieties, producers need to turn a profit to operate their […]

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

Sumatra Coffee Farmers See Gains Through Agroforestry and Organic Fertilizer

Farmers in Indonesia’s Lampung province are making their own organic fertilizer in order to lessen reliance on volatile external supply chains. They’ve also diversified the number of crops they grow,…


From Malawi to Edinburgh: The MF Coffee Project

We take a trip from North Carolina to Northern Malawi to Edinburgh, exploring the roots, roasts, and impact of the MF Coffee Project. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of the MF Coffee Project In the quaint village of Manchewe, Northern Malawi, a story unfolded when Cameron Mcallister made the life-altering decision to relocate […]


Brewing at Home and on the Road with Wilford Lamastus Jr.

We talk to the multi-time Panama Brewers Cup champion about his brewing preferences. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Wilford Lamastus Coffee professionals tend to spend most of their days brewing coffee. It can be an espresso shot pulled for a customer or a cupping to check out a new roaster to choose […]


Don’t Skip the Budding Specialty-Café Culture in Quito, Ecuador

Introducing the specialty cafés of Quito, a city worth exploring on your coffee quest. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Stratto When traveling across South America, Ecuador can be forgotten between the high profiles of Colombia and Peru. Similarly, coffee from Ecuador may be overlooked due to its giant neighbors, including […]

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

3 Elements Coffee: Supporting Veterans, One Cup at a Time  

The Australian roasting company helps to create opportunities for veteran communities.  BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of 3 Elements Coffee  Brisbane, Australia-based 3 Elements Coffee, founded by Navy veteran Terry McNally in 2016, has a mission to support the transition of ex-military personnel into the commercial workspace. To help achieve their goal and raise […]


How do you roast coffee for milk?

It’s impossible to deny just how popular milk-based coffee drinks (such as the flat white, latte, and cappuccino) are in coffee shops around the world. According to 2020 data from Project Café USA, the latte was the most ordered drink in the UK, and the third-most popular beverage in US coffee shops. In line with […]


The Caripe Variety: A Groundbreaking Milestone in Venezuelan Coffee Farming

Today, we unveil the story behind the Caripe variety and its significance for the Venezuelan coffee industry. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Carlos Felipe Ramírez Mesa via Unsplash In the heart of Venezuela, nestled among the picturesque states of Monagas, Anzoátegui, and Sucre, lies a legacy deeply rooted in coffee cultivation. This […]


Brewing at Home and on the Road with Wilford Lamastus Jr.

We talk to the multi-time Panama Brewers Cup champion about his brewing preferences. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Wilford Lamastus Coffee professionals tend to spend most of their days brewing coffee. It can be an espresso shot pulled for a customer or a cupping to check out a new roaster to choose […]

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

More than 100 competitors brought their talent to Baltimore to take part in six competitions, and 63 will progress to nationals in April.

BY NATE KLOCK
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Photos by Matthew Temple courtesy of the U.S. Coffee Championships

Last weekend, my hometown welcomed the U.S. Coffee Championships (USCC) qualifiers with the charm only Baltimore could bring.

The festivities began on Thursday with a meetup at Ceremony Coffee’s Harbor Point location, which boasts a baby-blue Synesso Hydra and a beautiful waterfront view of the Inner Harbor and the iconic Domino Sugar sign, a sign that I call home.

Friday brought judges and competitors to the convention center for practice and calibration. USCC’s first qualifying event for 2023 brought competitors from Florida to California to compete in six different categories: Barista, Brewers Cup, Coffee In Good Spirits, Cup Tasters, Roaster, and Latte Art.

Rows of black cupping vessels are lined up on a long table for cup tasters to try.
Cup tasters were tasked with triangulating six groups of coffee, a true test of the palate.

Competitions

The Cup Tasters rounds were fast-paced and silent except for competitors slurping and spitting, racing to triangulate six groups of coffee. “We are only competing against our own palates,” the cup-tasting emcee reminded competitors. Although the competition was underway, we could only hope to be better coffee professionals than we were yesterday.

The Brewers Cup and Barista competitors presented coffees they were passionate about and told stories that aligned with their values, connecting us to the coffee, the competitor, and the community.

A barista/bartender pours a yellow cocktail in a fluted glass for the Coffee in Good Spirits contest, with onlookers in the background.
The Coffee In Good Spirits competition required an assortment of coffee cocktail creations.

Roasters were sent 20 pounds of green Rwandan coffee and brought their best roast to showcase. Coffee In Good Spirits competitors were tasked with making hot and cold boozy coffee cocktails.

Latter art in two dark blue mugs, which appears to be a fancy seahorse design.
Latte artists were tasked with two free-pour lattes and two designer ones.

Latte art competitors were challenged with duplicating two free-pour lattes and two designer lattes. No matter the competition, it was clear that everyone spent hours practicing prior to the weekend.

Charm City

Baltimore graciously welcomed the coffee community. Keffa Coffee hosted those looking to unwind Saturday evening with Wagyu beef hot dogs, drinks, and a light-hearted latte art throwdown. Those who signed up steamed milk on La Marzocco Modbar steam modules alongside their competitor to show their best latte. Local roasters who donated coffee for the event included Thread Coffee Roasters, Vigilante Coffee Roasters, Sophomore Coffee, Black Acres Roastery, Small Planes, Red Rooster Coffee, and Lost Sock Roasters. They provided their talent for use in both competitions and the café, which sustained us for the long competition days.

A barista prepares their setup in Baltimore.

Next Up: Denver, March 3-5

The second USCC will be held March 3-5 in Denver. The highest-ranking competitors will compete in the nationals on April 21-23 in Portland, Ore., at the Specialty Coffee Expo, joining those who qualified in Baltimore for a chance to win their respective competitions at the 2023 U.S. Coffee Championships.

Judges hard at work tasting espresso for the Barista competition.

The champions from the U.S. national competitions will represent the USA in the World Coffee Championships. The World Barista, Brewers, and Cup Tasters Championships will take place in Athens, Greece, June 22-24, while the World Latte Art, Coffee In Good Spirits, and Roasting Championships will be happening in Taipei, Taiwan, November 17-20.

Competitor registration for the Denver qualifier is open until February 17. Consider registering, volunteering, or spectating at this prestigious event.

A group of 18 baristas pose for the winner photo, all of varying ages, gender identities and backgrounds. The front of the group kneels, and the top three winners hold up wooden plaques.
Barista Qualifying Competition winners pose together. First place was Juan Diaz (front row center); Elisabeth Johnson (bottom row, second from left) finished second; and third place was Hugo Cano (bottom row, fifth from left).

Winners at the Baltimore Qualifiers

BARISTA QUALIFYING COMPETITION (27 competitors total):

#1. Juan Diaz, KWC, Orlando, Fla.

#2. Elisabeth Johnson, Dayglow, Los Angeles

#3. Hugo Cano, Amberson Coffee, Indianapolis

#4. Jake McFarland, Black & White Coffee, Raleigh, N.C.

#5. Addison Mathis, PERC Coffee, Decatur, Ga.

#6. Dakota Graff, Onyx Coffee Lab, Rogers, Ark.

#7. Meg Skop, Independent, San Francisco

#8. Jinwoo Ahn, Cafe Grumpy, Brooklyn, N.Y.

#9. Jamie Patel, Co Trade Imports, Wake Forest, N.C.

#10. Christian Bak, Independent, Reno, Nev.

#11. Maya Crowley, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Essex, Vt.

#12. Austin Bowers, Methodical Coffee, Greenville, S.C.

#13. Q Miller-Edwards, De Fer Coffee and Tea, Pittsburgh

#14. Jorge Amador, Soluna PGH, Pittsburgh

#15. David Yardley, Moon Goat Coffee, Santa Ana, Calif.

#16. Jay Caragay, Spro Coffee, Cockeysville, Md.

#17. Lynn Hrabovsky, Soul at the Joseph, Columbus, Ohio

#18. Sabrina Denham, Not Your Average Joe, Norman, Okla.

BREWERS CUP QUALIFYING COMPETITION (19 competitors total):

1. Weihong Zhang, Blendin Coffee Lab, Pearland, Texas

2. Isaiah Sheese, Archetype Coffee, Omaha, Neb.

3. Peace Sakulclanuwat, Coffee Project NY, New York

4. C Hughes, Amberson Coffee, Indianapolis

5. Joseph Burns, Ghost Coffee Collab, Pittsburgh

6. John Dixon, Jubala Coffee, Raleigh, N.C.

7. Shaa’ista Sabir, PERC Coffee Roasters, Ellenwood, Ga.

8. Andres Morales, Coffee Project NY, New York

9. Jillion Potter, Helm Coffee, Indiana

10. Ryan Bui, Mercanta North America, Seattle

11. Steve Kim, Rare Bird Coffee Roasters, Arlington, Va.

12. Max Phills, Loveless Coffee, Brooklyn, N.Y.

COFFEE IN GOOD SPIRITS QUALIFYING COMPETITION (5 competitors total):

1. Mo Koolphanich, Slipstream, DC, Arlington, Va.

2. Ivan Solis, Recuerdos Coffee Co., Decatur, Ga.

3. Gregory White, Independent, Raleigh, N.C.

4. Louis Elguera, Coatl Coffee, Vista, Calif.

LATTE ART QUALIFYING COMPETITION (7 competitors total):

1. Tracy Jiang, Intelligentsia Coffee, Medford, Mass.

2. Edward Griffin, Messenger Coffee, Kansas City, Mo.

3. Julie Patadia, Coffee Project NY, New York

4. Donald Perdomo, Independent, Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.

5. Abdulqader Dali, Three Whistles, Arlington, Va.

6. Camilo Sanchez Gomez, Nativus/Red House, Newark, N.Y.

ROASTER QUALIFYING COMPETITION (21 competitors total):

1. Luke Jung, Luce Coffee Roasters, Houston

2. Matt Saperstone, Nilaa Coffee, Philadelphia

3. Tony Auger, Goshen Coffee Roasters, Edwardsville, Ill.

4. Soonhee Ka, Jejes Coffee Roasters, Sharon, Mass.

5. Tio Fallen, Three Keys Coffee, Houston

6. Paul Ahn, Madcap Coffee Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.

7. Hee Su Chang, Gabee Coffee Roasters, Broomfield, Colo.

8. Michael Matthews, Alinea Coffee Roasters, Metairie, La.

CUP TASTERS QUALIFYING COMPETITION (31 competitors total):

#1. Tom Bomford, Black Fox Coffee, New York

#2. Inwook Park, Fairwave Coffee Collective, Kansas City, Mo.

#3. Bear Soliven, Onyx Coffee Lab, Fayetteville, Ark.

#4. Katie Britt, Red Banner Coffee Roasters, Morley, Mo.

#5. El Roland, Keffa Coffee, Inc., Baltimore

#6. Ryan Hudson, Broad Porch Coffee, Luray, Va.

#7. Beatriz Garay, Mayorga Coffee, Rockville, Md.

#8. Tony Auger, Goshen Coffee Roasters, Edwardsville, Ill.

#9. Michael Nuziato, Broadsheet Coffee Roasters, Sommerville, Mass.

#10. Helen Choi, Luce Coffee Roasters, Houston

#11. Michael Matthews, Alinea Coffee Roasters, Metairie, La.

#12. Ben Masino, Gaia Coffee Co, Lewes, Del.

#13. Luke Jung, Luce Coffee Roasters, Houston

#14. Daniel Borras, Perc Coffee Roasters, Atlanta

#15. Eduardo Choza, Mayorga Coffee, Rockville, Md.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nate Klock (he/him) is an espresso technician at Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore. When he’s not tinkering with machines, he enjoys cooking, painting, and poetry in the apartment he shares with his boyfriend and cat.

The post U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

U.S. Coffee Championships 2023 Baltimore Qualifiers Results

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