Onyx Coffee Lab’s co-owner Andrea Allen won second place in the 2021 World Barista Championship, one of three competitions held at the World Coffee Championships, which took place in Milan on Oct. 22-26. Allen was the sole U.S. competitor in the barista competition in which contestants each prepared four espressos, four milk drinks and four original signature drinks “to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music.” The competition was judged by World Coffee Certified Judges from around the world, and each performance was evaluated on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation, according to the World Coffee Championships website. Diego Campos of Columbia took home the top prize.
Elika Liftee, also of Onyx, represented the U.S. in the World Brewer’s Cup competition, earning third place. Daiki Hatakeyama of Japan won second place and Matt Winton of Switzerland won first place.
The 2020 World Coffee Championships, scheduled to take place in Melbourne, were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both Allen and Liftee competed in the 2020 U.S. Coffee Championships in Costa Mesa, Calif. Allen won first place in the U.S. Barista Championship and Liftee won first prize in the U.S. Brewer’s Cup.
