Registration is now open for the manual coffee-brewing competition in New York City, which will take place on March 7, 2026.
BY JENNA GOTTHELF
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Coffee competitions are a canvas for innovation, celebration, and community-building. Oftentimes, these elements come together in competition spaces that already exist. Every once in a while something new comes along. And right now might just be that once in a while…
Competitors, heat your kettles! A new coffee competition has entered the building!
Introducing Brewlette
Brewlette is a manual coffee-brewing competition where a little bit of luck meets brewing skill, coffee passion, and camaraderie.
It starts with 13 competitors and unfolds over two rounds. Round One starts with all 13 competitors spinning the Brewlette Wheel, which will randomly assign a target TDS% (Total Dissolved Solids percentage). From there, competitors have eight minutes to manually brew a coffee that lands as close as possible to their target.
At the end of Round One, the eight competitors who hit closest to their assigned TDS will advance to Round Two.
During Round Two, the final eight competitors are entered into a randomly generated elimination bracket. Competitors will brew against each other in eight minute heats through quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. A panel of three judges will taste and evaluate the coffee without knowing how it was brewed or who brewed it, keeping the focus on what’s in the cup. The final brewer remaining will be crowned the Brewlette Champion.
Sponsored by Counter Culture, Mahlkönig + More
Each Brewlette will feature two single origin coffees from Counter Culture Coffee. Competitors are required to use sponsored grinders from Mahlkönig and water from Third Wave Water. Official competition TDS measurements will be taken with a VST Coffee Tools Refractometer. There will be a Brewlette Library of brewing gear available to competitors, sponsored by AeroPress, Hario, and Slow Pour Supply. Competitors are welcome to bring their own gear, but it is not a requirement.
After registration, competitors will receive the competition coffees. These coffees will be highlighted nationally at Counter Culture Coffee Tasting at Ten events leading up to Brewlette. Competitors will also have the chance to participate in a Virtual Learning Session with the producers and importers responsible for the competition coffees.
Registration for NYC is Now Open! (Chicago, L.A. + Dallas Coming Soon)
Registration for all competitions will be hosted on Eventbrite. The first Brewlette is coming up in New York City on Saturday, March 7th. Registration opens here on February 7, 2026 (Registration Access Code: Brewlette2026NYC).
If you can’t make it to NYC, you still have a chance to compete! Brewlette will be hosted throughout the year in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas on the following dates:
- CHICAGO: Sunday, June 14, 2026
Registration opens May 14, 2026 at 1pm ET
Registration Access Code: Brewlette2026CHI
- LOS ANGELES: Sunday, August 23, 2026
Registration opens July 23, 2026 at 1pm ET
Registration Access Code: Brewlette2026LA
- DALLAS-FORT WORTH: Monday, October 19, 2026
Registration opens September 19, 2026 at 1pm ET
Registration Access Code: Brewlette2026DFW
Rules + Regulations
To learn more about Brewlette, check out the informational page on the Counter Culture website. You can find the Rules and Regulations here.
Brewlette is for everyone—whether it’s your first time competing or your 40th. You never know unless you try. This could be your time!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenna Gotthelf (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based coffee professional who oversees the national education program at Counter Culture Coffee.
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