Photo provided courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association.
The Biggest Names in Coffee Heading To Seattle Once Again
The Coffee World will be heading to Seattle once again this weekend. The Global Specialty Coffee Expo, brought to you by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) is an annual event that takes place at a variety of locations every year. It’s a perfect opportunity for those of you interested in the business retail side of coffee.
When: April 20-23
Where: Washington State Convention Center
Prices: Visit Website
Join thousands of other attendees from more than 75 countries at the show. Global Specialty Coffee Expo will feature hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest and most innovative products on the market. You may also take advantage of Lectures & Pathway Classes covering a wide array of topics of interest to the specialty coffee industry. And don’t forget the barista competitions, which is always fun to watch.
Photo provided courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association.
In addition to the Expo, attendees will have the opportunity to hear seminars, as well as be a part of some training classes.
The draw for many, however, will be the annual championships and competitions. They are as follows:
- Barista Championship
- Brewers Cup
- Roaster Championship
- Cup Tasters Championship
Barista Championship
The United States Barista Championship (USBC) is a platform for baristas to enhance their espresso beverage making skills through an exciting and challenging competition.
In 15 minutes, the barista must prepare and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a personally designed signature beverage for four sensory judges; all while being assessed on their preparation abilities by two technical judges.
In 2017, there were two events leading up to USBC that will included qualifying events for all the U.S. Coffee Championships. Baristas had to compete at a CoffeeChamps event to qualify for the national championship.
There were 60 competitors at each Qualifying Competition. 36 competitors are moving on to the U.S. Coffee Championships, in Seattle, WA from April 21 – 23, 2017. The top 6 competitors from each of the two CoffeeChamps events will go directly into the Semi-Finals round. The next 12 competitors from each Qualifying Competition will be invited to compete in the First Round of U.S. Barista Championship. The winner of the 2017 U.S. Barista Championship will represent the United States in the World Barista Championship, taking place November 9-12, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea!
Photo provided courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association.
Brewers Cup
The United States Brewers Cup (USBrC) is an exciting competition that highlights and celebrates the art of manual brewing. Competitors will perform three services, Compulsory, Open Service, and Serve The Audience. Compulsory & Open Service are judged by skilled coffee tasters. The Compulsory is a blind tasting, the competitors all brew the same coffee on their chosen manual devices. During Open Service competitors will brew and present their chosen coffee to the judges panel.
Photo provided courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association.
Roaster Championship
The U.S. Roaster Championship (USRC) is designed to highlight the art and craft of coffee roasting. The Roaster Qualifying Competitions were a brand new addition to the CoffeeChamps Qualifying Competitions in 2017!
The U.S. Roaster Championship will have 2 rounds. In the First Round, judges will blind sample competitor’s compulsory submissions and hear a short presentation from each competitor, describing the flavor notes and sharing green and roasted coffee knowledge. Attendees will have a chance to sample each competitor’s compulsory coffee. In the Second Round, competitors submit a roasted coffee of their own choosing. Again, the judges will blind sample the competitor’s roasted coffee and afterwards competitors will give a short presentations about their coffee to the judges. The roasted coffee that earns the top score will be named the winner of the 2017 U.S. Roaster Championship!
12 competitors — 6 from each CoffeeChamps Qualifying Competition — are advancing to the U.S. Roaster Championship in Seattle, WA during SCAA Expo April 21-23, 2017.
Photo provided courtesy of the Specialty Coffee Association.
Tasters Cup Championship
Different taste preferences are found in coffee cultures around the world, and the U.S. Cup Tasters Championship (USCTC) does not ask contestants to judge or evaluate coffee for these preferences. Instead, the competition challenges competitors to test their sensory skills by discerning taste differences in a “triangulation.” Tasters receive 8 sets of three cups, or triangles, where two cups are identical and one is different. The competitor with the ability to taste, smell, concentrate, and recall, those with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time wins.
In 2017, there were two events leading up to USCTC that included qualifying events for all the U.S. Coffee Championships. Cup tasters had to compete at a CoffeeChamps event to qualify for the national championship.
There were 24 competitors at each Qualifying Competition. 12 competitors from each Qualifying Competitors are advancing to U.S. Cup Tasters Championship. The top 3 competitors from each Qualifying Competition move directly into the Semi-Finals round of USCTC in Seattle, WA, held April 21-23, 2017. The next 9 competitors from each Qualifying Competition will be invited to compete in the first round of USCTC.
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