The results of the World Barista Championship 2011 are in!
Drum roll please! The twelfth World Barista Championship has just come to its conclusion and the search for the best barista on the planet has been crowned. This year the contest took place in Bogota in Columbia, a coffee-loving nation and some 54 countries around the world sent delegates to compete for the title.
The World Barista Champion decides who is the most skilled barista and assesses their espresso, cappuccino and other coffee-craft skills. The participants have to create twelve drinks in only fifteen minutes in front of a panel of judges, comprising four espressos, four cappuccinos and the remaining four drinks are to showcase the baristas ‘signature’ style.
What are the judges looking for? As well as the taste of the coffee, they are also taking into account presentation, techniques, cleanliness and the service of each barista. The organiser of the competition noted that the contents from coffee-producing nations tended to ‘have an edge.’
So who was crowned this year? Alejandro Mendez (on the far right), a barista from El Salvador! He will take the crown from last year’s reigning champion, Michael Phillips, from America.
Of course, as the location of the competition is in a coffee-loving and producing nation, the coffee fest did not end with the Barista Championships. There was also a conference and exhibition, plus the opportunity to visit Columbian coffee plantations and farms at the event. The Columbian Coffee Growers Federation was the host for the coffee extravaganza.