Over the weekend, the aroma of coffee beans filled the air at Orion Mall in Rajajinagar, where a heated competition was taking place. Talented baristas from across India went head-to-head in a brewing battle to see who could concoct the best cup of coffee.
The 60 contestants were equipped with top-of-the-line coffee makers and brewing gear, and judges were tasked with sampling over 100 different varieties to determine the ultimate winner. After a rigorous selection process, Jaseen Abbas from Kerala emerged victorious and was named the National Barista Champion-2023 by a panel of 36 judges.
The competition kicked off on Valentine’s Day with contestants descending upon Bengaluru to compete in the highly-coveted National Barista Championship. According to DM Purnesh, president of the Specialty Coffee Association of India (SCAI), the event is best described as the “Coffee Olympics” in Bengaluru. The 21st edition of the championship has been hosted in the city since 2000, but was suspended for two years due to the pandemic. Young brewing talents from all over India participated and showcased their signature flavors, making it an event to remember.
The SCAI, United Coffee Association of India, and Coffee Board came together to host a three-day coffee festival, where contestants brewed an espresso shot, a milk beverage, and a coffee-based non-alcoholic signature drink for a panel of judges. Seonhee Yoon, a World Coffee Events-certified judge from South Korea, led the panel of judges.
The semi-finals were held on Saturday, with 60 contestants reduced to 16 in front of an enthusiastic audience eager to taste the signature drinks. The six finalists were shortlisted to compete in the finals. “I came to witness the finale after spotting the news on the National Barista Championship on social media. It was interesting to watch the six finalists, and we got to taste the unique brews they made, a unique experience for a coffee lover,” said Swetha Jalan, an investment banker and resident of Rajajinagar.
The finalists, Suhas Dwarkanath from Benki Brewings, Bengaluru; Ketan Kashiram from Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Mumbai; Santhosh Basavaraj from Third Wave Coffee, Bengaluru; Jaseen Abbas from Ninedot Coffee, Kerala; Sandra Girish from Tata Coffee Ltd, Kerala; and Hrishikesh Mohite, an individual contestant from Pune, battled it out with their brews.
Jaseen Abbas was crowned the coffee champion, while Santhosh and Suhas from Bengaluru came in second and third place, respectively. Abbas will represent India in the World Barista Championship 2023 in Greece in June.
The World Barista Championship is an annual international coffee competition that brings together top baristas from around the world to compete for the title of World Barista Champion.
The competition requires participants to showcase their technical skills and creativity by preparing and serving specialty coffee drinks to a panel of judges. The winner of the World Barista Championship receives recognition as the best barista in the world and the opportunity to represent their country in the next year’s championship.
The World Barista Championship 2023 is the upcoming edition of this competition that will take place in Athens, Greece.
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