Scenes from the USCC Preliminaries—Portland, Ore.

Competitors battled it out in the Brewers Cup-only preliminary at Buckman Coffee Factory in Portland, Ore. Find out who advanced to the CoffeeChamps Qualifying Event!

BY SARAH ALLEN
BARISTA MAGAZINE

This past weekend, the third of eight United States Coffee Championships (USCC) preliminary events leading up to the national championships in April 2018 took place in Portland, Ore., at Buckman Coffee Factory. Featuring solely a Brewers Cup competition, the contest drew 18 competitors from around the West Coast and was co-hosted by the Portland Coffee Social Club and Buckman.

Here at Barista Magazine Online, we have been covering each of the preliminary events with photos and details about the top finishers. Thus far, we have published accounts of the Rancho Cucamonga and Seattle events, which both took place August 25–27. Next up: barista and Brewers Cup events in Denver, Greenville, S.C., and Washington, D.C., all unfolding September 22–24.

In Portland, Buckman has established itself as a hub for the local coffee community, and it generously welcomed competitors from as far as Sacramento, Calif., and as near as half a block away for the Brewers Cup preliminary event. The event was sponsored by La Marzocco, Pacific Barista Series, Modbar, La Bodega, Baratza, Water Avenue Coffee, Acaia, Marigold Coffee, Brewista, Junior’s Roasted Coffee, and Sprudge.

Here are some snapshots of all the action from the weekend!

The top four from the Portland Brewers Cup preliminary event, from left: Cruz Conrad (second place); Zach Perkins (first place); Joe Yang (third place); and Kelly Hill (fourth place).

Beckman Coffee Factory was set up sweetly with representation of many local roasters, lots of info for guests, and a super-inviting environment.

Joe Yang in his prep time for the performance that would earn him third place. Photo by Cole Werfelman.

Zach Perkins delivers a first-place-worthy performance. Side note: Zach just won the United States AeroPress Championship a week ago! Photo by Cole Werfelman.

The unique and beautiful medals were made by a local artisan leather worker Austin Boyd of Farrow Co. Photo by Cole Werfelman.

Angel Medina brought a beautiful handmade copper pourover station for his performance.

Elevator Café & Commons hosted a fun and well-attended throwdown on Saturday night.

Steve Cuevas—reigning U.S. Cup Tasters Champ—came all the way from Ukiah, Calif., to compete in the Portland Brewers Cup.

Judge Andrew Bettis (left) and head judge Dan Baumfeld enjoyed the party at Elevator.

Behind-the-scenes at the Portland Brewers Cup.

PARTICIPANTS IN THE PORTLAND BREWERS CUP PRELIM:

Davis Sears, Portland Roasting, Portland, Ore.
Zach Perkins, Water Ave. Coffee, Portland, Ore.
Cole Werfelman, Elevator Cafe & Commons, Portland, Ore.
Zane Derven, Tailored Coffee Roasters, Eugene, Ore.
Cruz Conrad, Pachamama Coffee, Sacramento, Calif.
Mike Miller, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Eugene, Ore.
Joe Yang, Case Study Coffee, Portland, Ore.
Maksym Khaliziev, Pachamama Coffee, Sacramento, Calif.
Ross Beamish, Anchorhead Coffee, Seattle, Wash.
Christopher Noerr, Cherry Street Public House, Seattle, Wash.
James Lim, Caffe Ladro, Seattle, Wash.
Kelly Hill, Temple Coffee, Sacramento, Calif.
Peter Ollivant, Portland Roasting, Portland, Ore.
Ale Dempsey, Guilder Cafe, Portland, Ore.
Steve Cuevas, Black Oak Coffee Roasters, Ukiah, Calif.
Brian Hernandez, Fulcrum Coffee, Seattle, Wash.
Thomas Chandler, Black Oak Coffee Roasters, Ukiah, Calif.
Angel Medina, Smalltime Roasters, Portland, Ore.

The top four competitors of the Portland Brewers Cup, of 18 participants, were:

First place: Zach Perkins, Water Avenue Coffee, Portland, Ore.
Second place: Cruz Conrad, Pachamama Coffee, Sacramento, Calif.
Third place: Joe Yang, Case Study Coffee, Portland, Ore.
Fourth place: Kelly Hill, Temple Coffee, Sacramento, Calif.

Thank you organizers, competitors, and sponsors for a terrific event!