The U.S. AeroPress competitions will have an expanded format this season, growing to nine regional competitions with the goal of including more folks into this fun and raucous night of coffee, beer, and good times.
BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
If barista competitions were a family, the AeroPress Championship would be like your quirky aunt or uncle, telling crazy stories and maybe having a few too many drinks at dinner, but always smiling and bringing life to the party. The regional and national U.S. competitions have always been part serious competition, where baristas fight it out to brew the best possible cup of coffee using an AeroPress, and part fun—an excuse to throw a great party and hang out with friends and colleagues.
This year, there will be occasion for more parties and get togethers. The W.A.C.—the folks in charge of the U.S. AeroPress competitions—have just announced they will be expanding their regional format to include more cities and more competitors. Much like the new format for the United States Barista Championship (although the W.A.C. claims that this new format is “an approach so good the USBC have adopted it for 2018 – you heard it here first!”), there will be more regional competitions with more opportunities for baristas and coffee professionals to jump in and show off their AeroPress skills.
“The AeroPress Championship is all about bringing people together,” a press release from the W.A.C. states. “We want more people taking part, and spending less money to do so. We want to see more fine folks congregating and celebrating the communities they represent, and less people doing the opposite of that, whatever that is.” The changes to this format are effective immediately, starting with this competition season, which will see no fewer than nine regional events culminating in a final competition in Seattle on September 6 to crown the United States AeroPress Champion. “We’ve partnered with an able, willing, and enthusiastic cadre of hosts—all eager to bring their local coffee communities together for a night of light-hearted and spirited AeroPress action,” the press release states. The winner of the U.S. competition will go on to represent the United States at the World AeroPress Championship in Seoul in November.
Regionals are scattered all across the nation—from Tampa to Honolulu—to encourage more folks to participate and not have to put themselves out with travel expenses and accommodations. This year’s season has already begun with a lively competition in Chicago, and will move to Dallas/Fort Worth with a competition hosted by Halfwit, Cultivar, and Commonwealth Coffee. And, as always, each city has a stunning poster to promote the competition.
You can register for your nearest AeroPress competition and see more stunning posters promoting AeroPress competitions all over the world by checking out www.worldaeropresschampionships.com.
Thank you WAC competitors. And thank you Barista Magazine. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my coffee maker would spark worldwide competition. But all of you have made that possible, and better yet, wonderful.
Sincerely yours,
Alan Adler – AeroPress Inventor