World Brewers Cup facts for kids

The World Brewers Cup (WBC or WBrC) is a big international competition for making coffee by hand. It's like a championship for coffee brewing! It's organized by World Coffee Events, a group that loves specialty coffee. The main goal is to show off how skilled people are at brewing filter coffee without machines. It also helps promote making coffee by hand and giving great service.

Contestants get to the international competition by winning their own country's championship. In 2019, about 40 different countries had teams competing. The event happens every year. It's often held at the same time as other big coffee events, like the World Barista Championship. The very first World Brewers Cup was in 2011 in Maastricht, Netherlands. The 2021 competition was held in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

How to Join the World Brewers Cup

To join this exciting competition, coffee brewers must first win their country's national championship. These national contests are organized by groups connected to the World Brewers Cup. If a national champion can't make it, another brewer from their country might take their place.

The Competition Rounds

The World Brewers Cup has two main parts: a first round and a final round.

The Compulsory Round

In the first round, every competitor does two types of coffee service. First is the compulsory service. Here, competitors make three cups of coffee. They all use the same coffee beans given to them by the competition organizers.

Judges taste these coffees. They score them based on things like how they smell, how they taste, and how they feel in your mouth. They also look at the balance of flavors and the overall experience.

The Open Round

Next is the open service. For this part, competitors can choose any coffee beans they want. They also give a 10-minute talk while they brew. During their talk, they usually explain where their coffee comes from. They also share how they are brewing it and what flavors to expect. They brew at least three cups, one for each of the three taste judges.

In the open service, judges score both the taste of the coffee and the presentation. A special measurement is also taken for each drink. This measurement makes sure the coffee is not too strong, so it's different from espresso.

The Finals

The six competitors with the highest scores from the first round move on to the finals. The finals round is only an open service. The competitor with the highest score in the final round is named the World Brewers Cup Champion!

Tools and Techniques for Brewing

Competitors can use any manual brewing device and method they choose. "Manual" means it doesn't use electricity. This includes methods that use pumping or pressure, as long as a person powers them. Competitors must bring their own brewing tools.

Many different tools and methods have been used. Some popular ones include the French press, pour-over brewers like the Hario V60 or Kalita Wave, and even modified AeroPress devices. Most competitors use a pour-over method. Some even use brewers they designed themselves!

There are no strict rules about how much coffee or water to use. Competitors can change their recipes. They can use any coffee beans or mix of beans. They can also use any water source, but no extra ingredients are allowed. The only rule for the final coffee is that it can't be too strong. This helps make sure it's a brewed coffee, not an espresso.

Champions of the Past

Here is a list of past winners of the World Brewers Cup: