BEFORE WE START; FOUR THINGS TO NOTE
The format and rules of the competition are deliberately straight forward, and are designed to ensure that the events are fast paced, light hearted and fun affairs.
The point of the competition is to explore the potential of the AeroPress brewer, and to celebrate its diverse methods of use.
The most important thing is having a good time and brewing tasty coffee.
If you’re looking for a competition win to kickstart your lucrative coffee consultancy or public speaking/trade show circuit career, you’re probably better off entering the WBC.
FORMAT
The competition is a multiple round, elimination tournament.
Competitors have eight minutes to brew the best cup of AeroPress coffee they can.
In each round, three competitors brew simultaneously and their drinks are presented in identical vessels to a panel of three judges.
The judges will blindly evaluate each of the drinks and make their own private assessment as to which is the best, definable as “the cup I would most like to drink all of”.
On the count of three, the judges point simultaneously to their preferred cup.
The winner progresses gloriously to the next round, the losers are eliminated.
GENERAL RULES
Competitors must present a minimum of 200ml of brewed coffee, in the vessel provided.
Ground coffee and water are the only ingredients allowed to be used.
While small tweaks and hacks are permitted, the brewer used must ostensibly be a genuine Aerobie AeroPress.
All competitors will have a eight minutes in which to prepare, brew and present their coffee.
Failure to meet any of the above requirements will result in disqualification.
The competitors for each round in the tournament will be chosen randomly, and announced by the organisers prior to the competition starting.
JUDGING
Each round is blindly evaluated by three judges, with the competitors name being marked on the underside of the vessel.
Having tasted the coffees presented, judges will count down and simultaneously point at the cup they deem to be the best, according to the edict ““the cup I would most like to drink all of”.
Judges should be looking for aroma, pleasant flavour, a prominent sweetness and balanced acidity, good body and pleasing aftertaste.
Judges should not discuss the cups presented before choosing the winner.
After judging, the MC will lift the winning cup, revealing the name of the glorious round winner, simultaneously shaming the losers.
In the event of all three judges selecting different winners, the MC or a pre-determined fourth judge will decide the round.
EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS
If the competition specifies a particular coffee be brewed with, no other coffee may be used.
While organisers are required to provide clean, fresh, filtered water to compete with, competitors are free to bring their own water.
While organisers are required to provide everything necessary to compete with, but competitors are permitted to bring their own kettle, scales, grinder and other equipment.
Any modifications to the AeroPress brewer will need to be authorised by the organisers before the competition, and if need be, by Alan Adler himself. As always, Alan’s word is final.
Any filters, including metal filters, are allowed.