Anacafé host the party where the best competitors in the country showcased their skills and knowledge to be the official ambassador of Coffee from Guatemala to the world.
Jose Miguel Echeverría from Teco Coffee House emerged as the top competitor among the 10 baristas participating in the National Barista Competition in Guatemala. Echeverría will represent his country in the World Barista Competition to be held in Busan, South Korea, in May.
During the competition, the participating baristas explained and presented their preparations of espresso, espresso with milk, and a coffee-based invention drink. The judging panel consisted of 4 sensory judges, two technical judges, and a shadow judge, who evaluated the flavor quality, beverage consistency, barista technique, and the relationship between the beverage and the participant’s description of it. The judging team was led by Roukiat Delrue (Belgium), the Lead Judge of this competition.
Raul Rodas from Paradigma Coffee was the top performer among the 12 baristas participating in the National Brewers Competition. Rodas will represent Guatemala in the World Brewers Competition in Chicago, United States, in April 2024. This competition aims to find the best professionals in black coffee preparation following filtering techniques.
During the competition, the participating baristas explained and presented black coffee preparations by choosing a filtering method for a panel consisting of 3 sensory judges, two technical judges, and one lead Judge with 10 minutes. The judging team was coordinated by John Stubberud (Norway), the Lead Judge of this competition. This is the first time that Guatemala has held a brewer’s competition.
In cupping, the first place was won by Jonathan Lopez from Exportadora Green Coffee. Lopez stood out among 28 participants and will represent Guatemala in the world competition, also to be held in Chicago, United States.
In the cupping competition, participants had to identify 24 cups of coffee organized into 8 groups of 3 cups each (triangulations). In each triangulation, two cups are of the same coffee and preparation, and one with a different coffee or preparation. The tasters have a maximum of 8 minutes to identify the different cups, and the participant who achieves the most correct answers in the shortest time wins.
This edition of the National Barista, Brewers, and Cuppers Competition was organized by Anacafé and its Coffee School, with the support of El Cafetalito, Tecnochef, and Nuova Simonelli.
