The action, coffee talent, and mega equipment and supply show continues in Amsterdam
FROM STAFF REPORTS
The excitement at the RAI Convention center in Amsterdam reached fever pitch on Friday, with a packed World of Coffee exhibition floor, plus cheers and tears over on the World Barista Championship stage, as the 16 semifinalists were whittled down to just six competitors moving on to the final round. Here are some scenes from the event, as well as the epic Barista League party hosted by Ally Coffee that followed in the evening.
The WBC Espresso and Brew Bars served hundreds of drinks throughout the day to eager attendees who wanted the chance to taste coffees from some of the best baristas in the world.Fresh off of winning Coffee Masters at the London Coffee Festival, the Barista Champion of Poland, Agnieszka Rojewska, gave a dazzling performance in the WBC semifinal round. She made history by becoming the first Polish barista to make the finals of the WBC.2009 WBC Champion Gwilym Davies (left) chats with Noah Namowicz of Cafe Imports at a cupping in the Village, a smaller, more boutique section of the massive trade show floor.The stadium seating at the WBC stage was the place to be during the semifinal round.Live commentary was provided during the competition by past champions, including from left: Laila Ghambari (2014 U.S. Barista Champ), Kyle Ramage (2017 U.S. Barista Champion), Ben Put (five-time Canadian Barista Champion), and Lem Butler (2016 U.S. Barista Champ).The six WBC finalists, from left: Michalis Katsiavos of Greece; Cole Torode of Canada; John Gordon of New Zealand; Mathieu Theis of Switzerland; Agnieszka Rojewska of Poland; and Lex Wenneker of the Netherlands.Once the show was over for the day, the parties began! Throngs showed up at the Barista League party hosted by Ally Coffee, where a fun competition between former barista champions and other coffee luminaries took place throughout the evening.The teams at the Barista League competition were handcuffed together for tasks such as preparing pourers and pouring latte art. Pictured here is the team of Joanna Alm and Steve Leighton.At the end of the night, Francesco Sanapo and Charlotte Malaval were the winners of the team competition!
