A massive assortment of coffee talent gathered in the Long Beach (Calif.) Arena this past weekend for the 2015 U.S. Coffee Championships, where some heavy hardware was passed out for the country’s best baristas, brewers, tasters, roasters and latte artists.
Since the U.S. is playing host to the World Barista Championship this April in Seattle in coordination with the SCAA event, this was the first time the first time since 2009 the national competitions were held prior to that event. 2015 Barista Champion Charles Babinski, who twice placed second in the U.S. Championships before his win this year, will represent the United States at the World Barista Championship in Seattle.
Winners in other competitions (Brewers Cup, Cup Tasters and Latte Art) will travel to Gothenburg, Sweden, to represent the U.S. during the world championships at World of Coffee 2015 in June.
Without further ado, here are the amazingly talented coffee people who triumphed in 2015 (all photos by the SCAA, used with permission):
2015 U.S. Barista Champion: Charles Babinski
Go Get ‘Em Tiger – Los Angeles, Calif.
Left to right: Lewontin, Schroeder, Chapman, Babinski, McBride and Harwood.
2nd place: Cole McBride – PublicUS – Las Vegas
3rd place: Sam Schroeder – Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. – Olympia, Wash.
4th place: Sam Lewontin – Everyman Espresso – New York, N.Y.
5th place: Devin Chapman – Verve Coffee Roasters – Los Angeles, Calif.
6th place: Michael Harwood – Ceremony Coffee Roasters – Annapolis, Md.
2015 U.S. Brewers Cup Champion: Sarah Anderson
Intelligentsia Coffee – Los Angeles, Calif.
Anderson (middle) with Bonchak and Goldsworthy
2nd place: Jenny Bonchak – Slingshot Coffee Co. – Raleigh, N.C.
3rd place: Todd Goldsworthy – Klatch Coffee – Los Angeles, Calif.
4th place: Anthony Auger – Kaldi’s Coffee – St. Louis, Mo.
5th place: Alexander Choppin – Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. – Olympia, Wash.
6th place: James Gibbs – La Colombe – Chicago, Ill.
2015 Roasters Choice Champion: Brandon Despain
Caffe Ibis – Logan, Utah
2nd place: Clancy Rose – Wild Gift Coffee – Austin, Texas
3rd place: Stephan Vonkolkow – Cafe Virtuoso – San Diego, Calif.
4th place: Evan Inatome – Elixr Coffee – Philadelphia, Penn.
5th place: Adam Walsh – JBC Coffee Roasters – Madison, Wis.
6th place: Okon Udosenata – Global Delights – Eugene, Ore.
2015 U.S. Latte Art Champion: Angie Chun
Coffee Code – Garden Grove, Calif.
2nd place: Simeon Bricker – The Roasterie – Kansas City, Mo.
3rd place: William Chun – Coffee Code – Garden Grove, Calif.
4th place: Jesus Gomez – J. Rene Coffee Roasters – West Hartfrod, Conn.
5th place: Matthew Piva – Sump Coffee – St. Louis, Mo.
6th place: Dylan Siemens – Onyx Coffee Lab – Springdale, Ark.
2015 U.S. Cup Tasters Champion: James Tooill
La Colombe – Philadelphia, Penn.
Tooill (middle) with Juris and Demisse
2nd place: Amanda Juris – Starbucks – Seattle, Wash.
3rd place: Samuel Demisse – Keffa Coffee – Townson, Md.
Nick Brown
Nick Brown is the editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
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