The best coffee brewer in America lives in Los Angeles. Her name is Sarah Anderson, and she’s about to compete in the World Brewer’s Cup this week in Gothenburg, Sweden. It's put on by the same organization that stages the World Barista Championship and the World Latte Art Championship, but this event is all about brewing a quality cup of coffee.
A senior barista at Intelligentsia’s Pasadena store, Anderson placed first in the Southwestern Regional Brewer’s Cup. Months later, she won the U.S. Brewer’s Cup, which qualified her for the world championship. Each competition entails a presentation for a panel of judges, who taste the brew while hot, warm and cold. The preparation leading up to the main event is about perfecting every step of the process—from the selection of coffee, to roasting, to picking a manual brew method and then being able to precisely describe this process to the panel. Though it may seem nerve-wracking, Anderson puts it in perspective.
“The competition is a platform for innovation. You take something simple like combining ground coffee and water and make it even better,” she says. “During the competition, it’s me and three judges, and I get to talk about something I love to people who are really interested.”
For World, Sarah took a slight risk by selecting a coffee that no one has ever had before. She describes it as the “Mother of Arabica,” which is what you’d find at a specialty shop. What appeals to her is the coffee’s unique flavor and overall scarcity.
“For me, working in coffee is a craft. It’s letting something truly express itself,” says Anderson.
If you’re interested in following along with World Brewer’s Cup, the livestream begins tomorrow.
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