"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

Many of the country’s most knowledgeable and experienced coffee professionals came together in the Gold Coast last month to compete in the 2011 Detpak Australian Specialty Coffee Championships. In the annual three-day event organised by the AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association (AASCA), the country’s best in the categories of Barista, Latte Art, Cup Tasting and Coffee in Good Spirits all gathered for not only a weekend of coffee mayhem, but also a chance at the world championships taking place later this year.

Matt Perger of Melbourne is Australia’s new Barista National Champion and will be headed to Bogota in June to compete in the World Barista Championships. Matt’s expertise was enough to surpass his peers as he came away with the highest score and beat out some very talented baristas. His winning signature drink consisted of pulped cherries mixed with castor sugar and marinated overnight. Sparkling water was added, the cherry syrup was caramelised, shots were pulled, and the entire concoction was taken down in two sips.

Representing Australia in the World Latte Championships is Kirby Berlin of Victoria. Kirby’s art stole the show as Australia was the first in the world to implement the new WBC latte art competition regulations. With the new rules, pictures taken during the Bar Component of the competition later become randomly chosen from the ’Wheel of Doom’ for latte artists to recreate during day two of the competition. The two pictures chosen for the finals were a heart with two rosettas, and a heart within a heart. Upon completion of the replications, the competitors then get a chance to wow the judges by creating art of their choice, however, they must do so within a vessel also chosen by the ‘Wheel of Doom’ the day before. The vessel this year was a 170ml round bowl, and Kirby’s winning masterpiece: a pair of identical swans.

Competition in the Cup Tasting category came down to a timing consideration after Luca Costanza, an attorney from Victoria, and Ben Bicknell, from 5 Senses Coffee in Victoria, finished the final round with a tie. In the end, Luca was the victor and will go to the Netherlands as the Australian Cup Tasting National Champion.

In the Coffee in Good Spirits category, Mitch Faulkner from New South Wales was named the 2011 Champion with his rendition of an Irish coffee, as well as a ‘Cherry Ripe’ signature drink consisting of tequila, cherry liquor, vanilla and dark chocolate; shaken and served over ice. The Coffee in Good Spirits World Championships will coincide with the World Latte Art Championships and World Cup Tasting Championships located in Maastricht, Netherlands in June.

Other event highlights include a cameo appearance by the beloved Reg Barber, and an outstanding finish by Ronald Ngo from CNR in Northbridge, WA. For being only his first year to compete on the national level, Ron amazed judges in the open heats and then went on to beat state champions in the semi-finals, taking him through to the final round.

So, a big congratulations to everyone who competed this year in the 2011 Australian Specialty Coffee Championships, thank you to those who made the event possible, and best of luck to all who will be representing Australia on a sure-to-be competitive global scale in June. For more information on the World Barista Championship visit their website.