The 2023 US Coffee Championship season is ramping up! With all preliminary events now squarely in the rearview, competitors (and coffee sport enthusiasts) now look ahead to the next phase, the Qualifying Event. Acting as a semifinal round of sorts, the Qualifying Event is the last step before coffee professionals from all over the country can punch their ticket to the national round of the United States Coffee Championships.
And wouldn’t you believe it, but the first Qualifying Event is just around the corner. Taking place January 27th through 29th, the East coast leg of the 2023 Qualifying Events will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland and will seat the first half of the field for nationals for all six coffee competitions.
Ranging from 16 to 60 competitors depending on the discipline, the field for each event will be comprised of a mix of those who earned their spot through preliminary events and those who were able to register via the lottery system. From there, the competitions will be whittled down as follows:
Barista Championship: 60 to 18
Brewers Cup: 24 to 12
Coffee in Good Spirits: 16 to 8
Cup Tasters: 48 to 8
Latte Art: 18 to 12
Roasters: 24 to 8
The winners from the East Coast Qualifying Event will be joined by the winners of the Mountain Region Qualifying Event (date and location not yet announced) to battle for it all at the 2023 US Coffee Championships.
For those looking to take in all the hot coffee action, tickets for the 2023 East Coast Qualifying Event are available for $25 via Eventbrite. For more information on the event, visit the US Coffee Championships official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
