As some of you may know, the World Barista Championship expanded this year into several new coffee competitions (for tasting, drip brewing, latte art, cocktails, and ibrik) under the "World Coffee Events" umbrella. The coming out party is going on right now in Maastricht, Neth.

Today in Maastricht the very first World Brewers Cup was won by an Irish grad student, Keith O'Sullivan. I thought this was noteworthy for H-B, because he is a home barista. For those who think making a good cup with a filter holder is a no-brainer, I can tell you that many reputable shops have a hard time turning their V60 coffees into something memorable. Dose, grind, water temp, pour speed and pattern, stirring, dwell time and other factors frequently combine to make a dismal cup of coffee.

World Brewers Cup website (play video for rules): http://www.worldbrewerscup.org/.
Coverage on Sprudge: http://www.sprudge.com

The Cezve/Ibrik competition is a treat to watch. The judges wear fezes. http://www.livestream.com/WCE2/video?clipId=pla_f85e0d53-78a5-48a0-a449-78be9ad2ddc7&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb

Thanks for posting. I enjoyed watching...

Marshall wrote:The Cezve/Ibrik competition is a treat to watch. The judges wear fezes. http://www.livestream.com/WCE2/video?clipId=pla_f85e0d53-78a5-48a0-a449-78be9ad2ddc7&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb

Thank you for posting this, Marshall. I was not aware that such a competition exists. I had absolutely no love for coffee of any sort until I had my first sip of Turkish coffee at a Turkish restaurant in Cambridge, England. That first drink was love - I was so enamored that I ate the grinds! Thus began my journey along the coffee highway. I still love the provincial simplicity of Turkish coffee, but I rarely reach for one of my lovely ibriks. Shame. I think I'll dust one off tomorrow.

-phillip