The Barista League is making up for lost time as it plans a 10-city in-person barista competition tour for 2022.
The Barista League competitions — designed as fast-paced, team-based interdisciplinary coffee challenges for baristas of any skill level — are heading to North America with stops in Portland (Oregon), Kansas City (Missouri), Mexico City and Toronto.
Farther afield, competitions will also be held in Manchester (UK), Budapest, Barcelona, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Melbourne. Dates for each event have not yet been announced.
From a 2019 season Barista League event. Photo by Milkdrop Studios, courtesy of The Barista League.
“While the last year-and-a-half has been incredibly tough for the whole specialty coffee industry, people are more excited than ever for accessible, fun and engaging coffee events,” Steven Maloney, who founded the Barista League in 2015, said in an announcement of the 2022 return. “We are so excited for the opportunity to bring our competition concept to more cities around the globe.”
In addition to the Barista League competitions, the organizers are reprising their High Density online coffee conference, which launched last year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The next conference is scheduled to take place in March of 2022.
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The in-person Barista League competitions, meanwhile, will remain free for 12 participating teams of barista competitors who will move through competition rounds in barista skills, sensory skills and the “mystery round.” Each event will also include a brew bar featuring local roasters, DJs and various non-coffee drinks.
Current sponsors behind 2022 events include Rancilio, Pacific Foods, Marco, Toddy and Acaia. The Barista League itself is a production of the specialty coffee industry event agency Ordna.
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