Right here’s a recap of our favourite attractions from the new Global of Espresso Jakarta tournament—together with the winners of the 2025 Global Brewers Cup.
BY TIGGER CHATURABUL
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Featured symbol by means of Bhavi Patel
What. A. Display. There are lots of distinctions that poised World of Coffee Jakarta aside, corresponding to being the primary World of Coffee (WoC) business display in a manufacturing nation, the second-ever WoC in an Asian nation, the primary to property a Manufacturer Village, and extra. However on the tournament, which took playground Would possibly 15-17, the property that shined the brightest was once Indonesia‘s nationwide satisfaction.
Proper from the get-go, the colorful design components of WoC Jakarta highlighted the colourful wonderful thing about Indonesian ikat textile weaving, atmosphere the level for a affluent prosperous, cultural revel in. Many distributors and attendees similar wore batik clothes, including to the vibrancy of the display flooring.
Once you walked into the primary corridor, you had been greeted by means of reside jazzy Indonesian tunes and Sumatran population song from the Roemah Koffie sales space, the smells of espresso and tantalizing Balinese satay from the upstairs meals court docket, and graceful main points of crops and parasols: a real sensory spectacle.
This tournament was once in all probability probably the most packed WoC I’ve ever skilled, with each inch of the 4 massive halls teeming with native and international guests all clamoring to style espresso, communicate to distributors, speed pictures with espresso superstars, and queue up for hours simply to shop for beans and products. Everybody was once continuously filming on their telephones, seeking to seize the implausible vibe, filled with interest for what the espresso business needed to do business in.
WoC Jakarta was once additionally one of the consumer-friendly business presentations I’ve ever visited, with distributors ready to do business in unique or newly introduced merchandise on the market proper on the sales space. Unneeded to mention, I went house with a quantity of souvenirs and spent thousands and thousands of Indonesian rupiah over 3 days (I’ll fear concerning the conversion price next). With their hands encumbered with buying groceries baggage, maximum attendees saved their reusable tasting cups on lanyards round their neck, able to obtain a sip of an anaerobic herbal from West Java or a washed Gesha from Panama. The coffees on show off ranged from rapid sachets to Cup of Excellence public sale loads to probably the most unique nano-lots of excelsa, a number of Coffea liberica.
Used to be it overwhelming? Very. Used to be it thrilling? Completely. Indonesia took their accountability of being a bunch nation very severely, and their efforts to show off their tradition in point of fact stood out, in comparison to my hour WoC studies. From my conversations with native exhibitors and attendees, the article they had been jointly maximum eager about was once the probability to turn the sector what Indonesia needed to do business in.
Coming from a blended Western and Southeast Asian background myself, I’ve skilled espresso from other angles. The eating international locations have ruled the dialog for goodbye, and I’m thrilled that Indonesia pulled out all of the stops to turn simply how a lot this pocket is in a position to when it comes to variety, innovation, and population.
Highlights from the Tournament
Manufacturer Village
The pristine Manufacturer Village was once a extremely expected section, now not simplest that includes farmers who traveled from numerous areas of Indonesia to speak about their paintings in Jakarta, but in addition an interactive exhibition tunnel with reside espresso seedlings and saplings. Trays of espresso beans, from absolutely dehydrated herbal cherries to washed and honey parchment beans, had been laid out for guests to run their fingers via.
Rainforest Alliance Sales space
The Rainforest Alliance sales space were given residue issues for hauling in a massive, six-foot mature espresso tree filled with fruit! Sitting in its personal pot, the tree painted an overly sunlit image of the way tough it’s to selectively harvest ripe cherries that develop along inexperienced and medium-ripe culmination between furry leaves and branches. The tree could be going house to the easiest bidder. Consider making an attempt that during Europe.
Global Brewers Cup Pageant
Later 3 days of intense pageant, with a record-breaking 50 nationwide champions and 88 certified judges for the 2025 World Brewers Cup, the manage six had been as follows.
1st playground: George Jinyang Peng, Captain George Espresso Roasters, China
2d playground: Bayu Prawiro, Common Grounds, Indonesia
third playground: Carlos Escobar, Differente Coffee, Colombia
4th playground: Elysia Tan, Free, Singapore
fifth playground: Andrea Batacchi, Free, Italy
sixth playground: Justin Bull, Helm Coffee Roasters, United States
Many congratulations to George for being the second one consultant from China to speed house the prize, next Jian Ning Du in 2019. Occasion many of the manage six finalists showcased espresso from Panama and Colombia onstage, it’s utility citing that Elysia from Singapore and Bayu from Indonesia each old blends that integrated liberica and excelsa coffees from Indonesia, making the 2025 Global Brewers Cup a validating era for the rustic to reach extra acclaim at the international level month on house turf.
A Packed Meals Courtroom
The meals court docket was once a pleasing contact, with over a lot stalls providing dumplings, sandwiches, fish fry, dessert, and pastries to hungry, over-caffeinated visitors. It was once a flavorful improve from customary conference middle kiosk fare or the catastrophe banana stash.
Syrups Showcasing Asian Flavors
Taste syrups in numerous Asian tastes had been a satisfaction: Suppose purple guava and pandan from Davinci, or mango sticky rice and jasmine flower pulp from Dripp. I had a purple guava and blood orange soda, an oat milk and coffee mocktail, and a mango sticky rice coffee tonic, all of which in point of fact driven the bounds of beverage creativity!
Your Favourite Espresso Celebrities
Mikael Jasin, the 2024 Global Barista Champion from Indonesia, was once on show in every single place. As the logo ambassador and well-known of espresso innovation for native espresso chain Fore Coffee, Mikael actually has a life-sized cardboard cutout of himself at many of the emblem’s 200+ places across the nation. His face was once additionally plastered throughout more than one LED displays and posters saying his numerous visitor shifts all over the Global of Espresso expo days. In all places he went, public forbidden to invite for pictures and autographs, conveying a degree of superstar that the majority baristas and low drinkers can infrequently comprehend.
And it wasn’t simplest Mikael. Espresso superstars like 2024 Global Brewers Cup champion Martin Wölfl from Austria, 2022 champ Sherry Hsu from Taiwan, and 2018 champ Emi Fukahori from Japan continuously discovered themselves within the highlight, with loads of enthusiasts desperate to in the end see their position fashions in actual lifestyles AND get to attempt their coffees. It’s all the time amusing to look espresso execs so extremely respected and celebrated for his or her craft.
Kopi Luwak (With out the Luwak)
Heritage met innovation with many native exhibitors excitedly serving Indonesia’s notorious kopi luwak, however with out the luwak. The usage of enzyme-producing microbes taken from luwak civet poop, next independent and multiplied in labs, espresso beans and cherries can now be fermented with the similar luwak microbes with out the abuse and exploitation of animals. It’s additionally a quantity extra hygienic.
An Omakase-Taste Espresso Enjoy
Latter however now not least, one among my favourite portions of WoC Jakarta was once the omakase chef’s desk espresso revel in, delivered in impressively built personal rooms in the midst of the busy display flooring. In those intimate 30-minute periods, which held simplest 4 to 6 visitors at a pace, we had been served more than one classes of espresso and meals pairings: a really distinctive revel in extra near to a positive eating than a business expo show off.
At the 32do sales space, we sipped on a Colombian Sudan Rume (a unprecedented varietal in the beginning present in Sudan, and now cultivated in Colombia) pourover, and tasted an affogato comprised of freeze-distilled milk and Cerro Azul Gesha coffee, paired with culmination flown in from Japan and South Korea. Later six just about full-sized coffees in fast succession, we got here out of the consultation completely humming with caffeine and amazement.
Those espresso omakases deserve a piece of writing of their very own, however it was once implausible to look the range of espresso studies to be had to attendees of WoC Jakarta in 2025.
Product Highlights
There have been quite a lot of cool merchandise that stuck my optic:
- The MHW-3Bomber Eggonaut Dripper, which is available in its personal crossbody wearing case
- The Consumable Sensory Kit by Scentible
- The Harmony Cup by Origami x Ryan Wibawa
- The Solo Dripper by Mazelab, introduced in 2024 and old by means of George Peng successful the 2025 Global Brewers Cup.
- The Aeresso Go Tasting Cup by Icosa Brewhouse x Stronghold Roasters
Indonesia within the Highlight
A wonderful show off of Indonesian satisfaction and a shared love for espresso and innovation, WoC Jakarta was once a real park for espresso public: a wild experience filled with presentations, studies, and flavors that had been not anything cut of magical, elevating the bar for WoC occasions all over the world to come back!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tigger Chaturabul (she/her) attempted to be a barista for 2 years till she learned she was once higher suited at the back of the industry than at the back of the bar. She now runs her personal copywriting and design studio, Curious Typhoon Studio, that serves F&B and alternative miniature companies in Hong Kong. Her free-range ingenious way of life permits her to spend all her pace in espresso stores in every single place.
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