Two World Coffee Championships come to Specialty Coffee Expo.
Competitors from around the globe will take to the stage for three days of fierce competition at the Chicago World Coffee Championships (WCC) this April. The event includes the 2024 World Brewers Cup and World Cup Tasters Championship — the first time the WCCs have been held in the US since 2019.
The WCCs are annual events that are the culmination of local and regional events, hosted by sanctioned Competition Bodies around the globe. Between competitors, there’s a chance to sample international specialty roasters at the WCC Brew Bar next to the WCTC stage. Cheer along with the hashtag #ChicagoWCC.
Register for a 1-Day or 3-Day Expo badge to access the World Coffee Championships area.
World Brewers Cup
The World Brewers Cup competition highlights the craft of filter coffee brewing by hand, promoting manual coffee brewing and service excellence.
In this Championship, competitors prepare and serve three individual beverages for a panel of judges. The Championship consists of two rounds: a first round and a finals round. During the first round competitors complete two coffee services – a compulsory service and an open service. For the compulsory service, competitors prepare three beverages utilizing whole bean coffee provided to them by the competition. For the open service, competitors may utilize any whole bean coffee of their choosing and must also accompany their beverage preparation with a presentation. The six competitors with the highest score from the first round will go on to compete in the finals round consisting exclusively of an open service. One competitor from the final round will be named the World Brewers Cup Champion.
World Cup Tasters Championship
This championship awards the professional coffee cupper who demonstrates speed, skill, and accuracy in distinguishing the taste differences in specialty coffees.
Three cups are placed in a triangle, with 2 cups being identical coffees and one cup being a different coffee. Using skills of smell, taste, attention and experience, the cupper will identify the odd cup in the triangle as quickly as they can. A total of 8 triangles are placed in each round.
The top 8 competitors with the most correct answers and the fastest time proceed to the next Semi-Finals round. Then the top 4 will compete again in the Finals round to determine the next World Cup Tasters Champion.
