The first ever USBC Brewers Cup will premiere in Tacoma, Washington at the 2011 NWRBC.
The official announcement drops soon, as well as the rules. Sponsorship arrangements worked out in time to have the first Brewer’s Cup at the Tacoma event. Look for official announcements soon, but in the meantime here are some details!
Round One: All contestants will use the same coffee (the organizers of the event will choose a “balanced” coffee) and make three individual brews using his/her brew method of choice. Competitors will brew in silence during the NWRBC performances. Round one will be judged on taste of the cups alone by licensed Q Grader judges, with the top six moving on to the finals.
Finals: Six finalists will present any coffee they choose in a “coffee sommelier” service.
The finalists will be scored on:
70% TASTE
30% RAZZLE DAZZLE (Performance, Customer Service, Presentation)
Within those percentages, we’re estimating roughly 10% for razzle, and something like 20% for dazzle, with ghost percentage points left undefined for zippy, zazzy or zestful performances.
The regional Brewers Cup champion will represent their region at the national competition in Houston during the SCAA Expo.
Registration will be online soon. Registrations will also be accepted on site, so everyone who wants to participate will have an opportunity and because the competition is only two weeks away.
The Slow Brew competition has been talked about for a few years now and will be a great opportunity to showcase talents of baristas who don’t normally compete in the USBC. These include baristas that might shine in their cafe but sweat under the pressure of big lights, megatron screens and a slough of “press” bloggers waving giant DSLRs, flashing incessantly and getting in the tech judge’s way. This also includes roasters, members of a production crew and other representatives of the coffee community who might not have the luxury of practicing for a hardcore 4 espresso, 4 cap, 4 sig drink 15-minute presentation.
It’ll be interesting to see how different brewing techniques we read about on the blogs and Twitter end up getting judged in this competition. While your MojoToGo might give you a perfect extraction ratio, how will a group of licensed Q Grade judges score it?
More importantly, Sprudge.com asks: Will the Aroma of Tacoma affect the licensed Q Grade judges’ sensitive sensory capabilities?
