What are Coffee Competitions?

Here at Little Bear we’re big fans of coffee competitions but what are they, how many different types are there and why are we so obsessed with them? In today's blog post we’ll be deep diving on all of the aforementioned questions and so much more.  

What are Coffee Competitions?

Coffee competitions are nothing new but they have grown in popularity over the last decade or so. We’ve seen a rise in latte art throwdowns, roasting competitions and brewing competitions popping up all over the country. There is no one way to host, compete or spectate these competitions and they range in scale all the way from local smaller competitions to huge international competitions. Coffee competitions are a way for coffee professionals, and enthusiasts alike, to showcase their skills in their preferred medium and hopefully take home the title of champion.

How many different types of coffee competitions are there?

There are sooo many different types of competitions but here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular ones:

• Local Latte Art Throwdowns

• These bracket style head to head competitions are some of the most common you’ll see! Hosted by local cafes all across the country baristas will battle it out to be crowned their cities champion. The way the competition works is that baristas go head to head to see who has the best latte art. Some competitions have ground rules for what people can and can’t pour, some have wacky things competitors have to pour into, while others are anything goes. These competitions exist to uplift baristas and help showcase their skills.

• Local Sig Bev Competition

• These competitions exist to showcase baristas' creativity! While less common than Local Latte Art Throwdowns baristas’ go head to head to showcase their drink crafting skills all while trying to create an unforgettable drinking experience. Competitors are judged on balance of the drink served, how transformative the ingredients are, and their creativity.

• World Latte Art Open

• The World Latte Art Open happens four times a year at Coffee Fest! This fast paced bracket style competition is where baristas face off in sudden death rounds in the hopes of being crowned the winner. Competitors are judged on their speed, symmetry, difficulty of design, contrast and so much more. 

• Barista League 

• This is a team competition where 6 teams battle it out to see who’s the best! The competition consists of competitors having 10 minutes to make 5 drinks; one espresso, one milk beverage, one cold brew mocktail and one mystery drink all while giving a mini presentation. Judges are encouraged to interact with the competitors and make the most out of the experience. 

• World Aeropress Competition 

• In this competition competitors go head to head to see who can brew the best aeropress coffee! Competitors use the same compulsory coffee to see who can brew the best Aeropress. Competitors are encouraged to play around with water science, unique ways to brew with an aeropress and to have fun while doing it!

• US National Barista Competition

• In this competition competitors have 15 minutes to make 4 espressos, 4 milk beverages, and 4 coffee mocktails all while giving a Tedtalk style presentation that ties into the coffee that they’re serving. Competitors are judged on the accuracy of the taste, tactile and finish descriptors they give their judges, how well their theme ties into their courses as well as on their technical usage of the space (i.e. bar flow, cleanliness, etc.). 

• US National Brewers Cup

• The U.S. Brewers Cup is a coffee brewing competition that highlights the craft and skill of manual filter coffee brewing. There are two services in Brewers Cup: Open and Compulsory. For compulsory service, competitors brew three beverages from the same whole bean coffee provided to them by the competition. These coffees are evaluated by judges on a standardized numerical scale based on sensory components such as aroma, flavor, body, and acidity. In Open Service, competitors present and brew three beverages with a coffee of their choice for judges with an accompanying presentation.

• US National Cup Tasters

• Fast and fun, the U.S. Cup Tasters Competition challenges competitors to test their sensory skills by discerning taste differences in a “triangulation.” Tasters receive sets of three cups where two cups are identical and one is different. Competitors are challenged to taste, smell, recall, and choose the unique cup in each triangulation. The Competitor will have 8 minutes to taste and identify the odd cups in 8 triangulations! The person with the most correct answers in the shortest amount of time wins!

• US National Coffee in Good Spirit

• The U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (USCIGS) celebrates the art of combining coffee and spirits. Competitors are challenged to showcase their mixology skills, balancing flavor, technique, and presentation to craft beverages where coffee and spirits come together perfectly. 

• US National Latte Art 

• In the U.S. Latte Art Competition (USLAC) competitors are given the creative freedom to push the boundaries of what well texturized steamed milk could showcase. Various performance rounds challenge the baristas with free pour and designer techniques for both traditional latte and macchiato beverages. The designs presented are visually assessed by a panel of judges in addition to competitor workflow.

• US National Roasting Competition

• The United States Coffee Roasting Championship (USRC) honors the craft and expertise of coffee roasters, recognizing those who excel in unlocking the full potential of each coffee. Competitors are rigorously evaluated on their ability to develop roast profiles that enhance the coffee’s unique characteristics and deliver exceptional cup quality.

The Little Bear of it all:

Here at Little Bear we started hosting local latte art competitions back in 2023 and our love of competitions grew from there. Since then we’ve had several people on our team compete in the World Aeropress competition, US National Barista Competition, the World Latte Art Open, and Barista League (happening this September in Atlanta). Our team has found that competing has helped raise their personal ceilings and push their skills to the next level. In August we’ll be hosting our first Signature Beverage competition and we hope you’ll be able to join us!