Espress yourself

One of the WBC’s coups has been to draw competitors from what they call “grower countries” like India and Costa Rica, where coffee is actually planted. This year, for the first time, they welcomed an African competitor.

“We only use the finest coffee in the world — Kenyan,” said barista Dominic Ruo Munge of Nairobi Java House, which operates five shops and a roasting facility.

Munge grew up picking beans on a 6,000-acre coffee estate. Visits to coffee-milling stations perked an interest in the rest of the process.

Ted S. Warren / AP Troels Overdal Poulsen smiles after receiving the trophy for winning the World Barista Championship. Baristas each had 15 minutes to prepare and serve judges four espressos, four cappuccinos and four beverages of their own creation.

After learning how coffee was sorted and graded, he won a training scholarship and has been behind the counter for four years now. He roasted his competition Kenyan AA beans himself, and after landing in Seattle, left them on a cold window sill to maintain peak flavor.

Munge’s view of coffee culture is downright philosophical; he describes it as a bridge between developed and developing nations. And you have to believe him when he points out that his customers’ love of coffee is a world away from the Starbucks drive-through: “For a Kenyan to take a coffee worth a dollar, he has to think twice.”

‘Peace of mind’
In the end, the Danes won the day again this year — no huge surprise since Copenhagen’s Café Europa, where Poulsen works, produced two other world champs. 

Poulsen’s drink was a deconstructed masterpiece: mild melted pepper in a porcelain spoon, then sweetened espresso and cold lavender syrup.

“I’ve never seen so many different elements in one coffee,” said Indian contender Sanjeev Kumar.

Poulsen was casual and relaxed, the very model of a carefree server as he rapidly produced flawless coffees. No mean feat for a man who drinks five espressos a day. He practiced for months to keep his nerves at bay, and it paid off.

“I managed to find peace of mind,” Poulsen said. “It came out that I was calm when it counted.”