What is the World Brewers Cup (WBrC)?

The World Brewers Cup (WBrC) is the annual global manual-filter coffee competition organised by World Coffee Events (WCE), the competition arm of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). Competitors prepare filter coffees (V60, Chemex, Aeropress, Kalita, or any manual method) in front of a panel of certified judges who evaluate cup quality, service and presentation — not espresso.

The WBrC was created in 2011 to showcase manual brewing methods, long overshadowed by the World Barista Championship (WBC) which centres on espresso. The competition is structured in two rounds: the compulsory service round, where all competitors prepare the same unknown coffee provided by the organisation, and the open service round, where each competitor brings their own coffee and presents their personal vision of brewing.

Scoring in the compulsory round is based exclusively on sensory cup quality: judges evaluate three identical cups blind using the same criteria as SCA cupping (aroma, flavour, acidity, body, cleanliness, overall impression). The rigour is absolute — the same coffee prepared by 60 different competitors reveals disparities in technical mastery. The open round adds a narrative dimension: competitors have 10 minutes to prepare three coffee services while explaining aloud their approach (coffee choice, method, parameters), which rewards pedagogy and passion as much as technique.

WBrC winners since its inception have often revolutionised global filter coffee practice: they popularise new varieties (Geisha, Eugenioides), new processes (anaerobic, lactic) and new brewing methods (bypass technique, stepped brewing). The WBrC competitive scene is an innovation laboratory for the entire specialty community.

In Europe, WBrC editions attract 50 to 60 countries. European champions (Scandinavia, Netherlands, United Kingdom) dominated the competition throughout the 2010s. In Belgium, a handful of exceptional baristas have successfully represented the country in European qualifying rounds, and the national level continues to improve under the impetus of Belgium's specialty coffee scene, supported by actors like expertcafe.be who document and democratise these professional practices.

World Brewers Cup structure