Scottish Aeropress Championship 2016

Bring out your inner barista at the 2016 Scottish Aeropress Championships

This year’s World Aeropress Championship is hitting Dublin on Thursday 23 June when around 50 national champions will swing into town with some tell-tale hand luggage: that take-anywhere piece of coffee brewing equipment, the aeropress.

Our Scottish Champion will be among them after clambering over the coffee grounds of 35 other competitors at our Aeropress Championships at Summerhall, Edinburgh on 21 April. I caught up with organiser Dave Law of Brew Lab to get up to speed on this year’s event and here’s a summary of our chat.

Firstly, anyone can enter the competition, not just professional baristas. While the judging will be above-board and carried out by esteemed and seasoned professionals (see below), the competition and whole event is friendly and inclusive.

If you need some convincing that this world-class coffee event doesn’t take itself too seriously, check out this short video that outlines the Rules. Let it also be noted that the first guiding principle for national organisers is also that the event is “Fast, fun and light-hearted... to compete in, host and watch” - (please scroll down past the video too, there's more...)

Convinced? – register for the competition here.

If you’re excited about buying tickets, hold that thought, they’ll go on sale soon.

If you’re not familiar with the Aeropress, invented by Alan Adler who also created the Aerobie flying ring (that’s faster than a Frisbee) this post gives you a good and easy run-down. (Photo belongs to Jason Henry – Backchannel.com)

So what does the Scottish Championship event promise punters?

Heats: Competitors will get the ‘competition coffee’, proudly supplied by North-Berwick’s Steampunk Coffee, a week prior to the event so they can hone their brew. They’ll then arrive at 2pm for a bit of last minute onsite practice before six heats of six simultaneous competitors kick off at 3.30pm. Competitors need to complete their brew, from start to finish, within 8 minutes and judges will taste six coffees in rapid succession before pointing to a winner for each heat. Heats will be behind closed doors although each competitor can bring a buddy or helper.

Event time: Summerhall’s doors will open at 6.30pm and spectators will be welcomed with some smooth tunes, a bar, merchandise at the coffee pop-up store including a variety of top-notch beans, coffee gear and t-shirts, Lovecrumbs doughnuts, Brew Lab cold brew and the Edinburgh Coffee Lovers Brew Bar that will showcase some of Edinburgh’s finest baristas and roasters so you can chat and try their coffee. You’ll also be able to dig into some fine food from Jones & Son Bespoke BBQ & coffee from Steampunk in the courtyard area.

Show time: Two semi final heats of six competitors, each lasting the requisite 8 minutes, will take place between 7-8pm, resulting in two finalists. Then we get some live band action and a bit more food truck, cold brew and brew bar time before the final show-down at 9pm. Our Scottish Aeropress Champion is announced to great applause and Supermoon take the stage to help celebrate.

The highly caffeinated judges
Shouldering the responsibility of quick coffee consumption and even quicker informed decision-making for the 2016 Scottish Aeropress Championship are:

• John Thompson – Coffee Nexus coffee guru and consultant to shops and heads-of-coffee-producing countries. (He was also one of our Hot Shots last year so can read more about him)
• Ewan Osprey-Allan – Account Manager for Union Coffee, previous UK Barista Championship competitor and SCAE Sensory Judge.
• Jason Scott – Owner of world-class cocktail and drinking establishments Lucky Liquor Co, Bramble Bar and The Last Word Saloon.

We'll keep you updated as plans come together!