George Jinyang Peng of China is the 2025 World Brewers Cup Champion! Peng took top honors at the competition held in Jakarta at the World of Coffee Asia coffee conference. Competing along with fifty other national Brewers Cup Champions, Peng clinched the title by dazzling the judges with a smooth presentation and an award-winning coffee roasted three ways.
This cohesive presentation illustrated the importance and significance of temperature in coffee growing, roasting, brewing, and drinking.
Singapore Brewers Cup Champion Elysia Tan scored highest in the open service of the finals round. Open service, the round that includes a ten minute presentation and allows the competitor to use their own coffees, is the round broadcast to the world. Peng scored highest among the finalists in the compulsory service—the round that has each competitor using the same coffee, brewing quietly on stage without a presentation. There was a razor-thin nine-point difference Peng and Indonesia World Brewers Cup Champion Bayu Prawiro. Take a look at the full rankings here.
Since 2011, the World Brewers Cup has crowned 14 champions and continues to grow in popularity among the six World Coffee Championships organized by the Specialty Coffee Association. Well, seven competitions, if you include the Cezve/Ibrik Championship, which should really get a big, beautiful World designation at this point.
Fun fact: the visionary behind the Brewers Cup is none other than the popular TikTok influencer @yourkoreandad Nick Cho. “Every year I’m so proud to see all the Brewers Cup competitions and competitors all around the world. I’m so grateful to have created a competition that so many find valuable and worth their time and effort,” Cho wrote shortly after the event on Meta’s popular social media platform Threads.
Coffees That Made Finals At The 2025 World Brewers Cup
The world’s top coffee brewers made use of some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after coffees. Peng competed using a coffee that fetched $3,422.00/kg at auction this year: a 94.5 point natural processed gesha variety from the award-winning Mount Totumas. The coffee was roasted to exacting specifications using three different roast profiles to bring out different flavor and aromatic elements.
Here’s a breakdown of the coffees used this year:
George Jinyang Peng, Captain George Coffee Roasters, China
Mount Totumas, Panama (Gesha, Natural)
Raul Rodas, Paradigma Coffee, Guatemala
Finca El Injerto, Guatemala (Gesha, Natural)
Bayu Prawiro, Common Grounds, Indonesia
Finca Sophia, Panama (Gesha, Washed)
Janson Estate, Panama (Gesha, Anaerobic)
Sukawangi Sumedang, Indonesia (Excelsa, Mosto Anaerobic Natural)
Andrea Batacchi, Italy
Finca Inmaculada, Colombia (Eugenioides,
Altieri Estate, Panama (Gesha, Natural)
Volcan Valley Farm, Panama (Gesha, Natural)
Justin Bull, Helm Coffee Roasters, United States
Finca Deborah, Panama (Gesha, Carbonic Macerated, Washed Finish)
Carlos Escobar, Differente Coffee, Colombia
Finca Las Flores, Colombia (Maracaturra, Natural)
Elysia Tan, Singapore
Finca Nuguo, Panama (Gesha, Natural)
Finca Sophia, Panama (Gesha, Washed)
Reza Nurullah, Indonesia (Liberica, Natural)
Alireza, Baristica, Turkey
Finca Mikava, Colombia (Gesha, Carbonic Maceration Natural)
Lakis Psomas, Beans In Cup, Sweden
Finca Nuguo, Panama (Gesha, Natural)
Check out George Jinyang Peng’s full Finals Day open service presentation here:
Photos by Tung Nguyen for Sprudge.
