Sasa Sestic, director and bean hunter at Ona Coffee with multiple locations in Canberra, Australia, took home the top prize in the 16th World Barista Championship held at the Specialty Coffee Association of America exposition in Seattle, Wash. He beat out 48 other competitors in a competition that took place over a four-day period with a routine featuring a rare coffee variety (Sudan Rume) processed in a unique way (50% washed, 50% washed carbonic maceration) as a cappuccino.
Other top competitors included Charles Babinski of Go Get ‘Em Tiger, United States of America in in second place; Ben Put of Monogram Coffee, Canada in third place; Chan Kwun Ho of The Cupping Room, Hong Kong in fourth place, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood of Colonna & Smalls, United Kingdom in fifth place; and Charlotte Malaval, an independent barista, France in sixth place. According to the official announcement of the winners, more than 55,000 viewers watched the competition as it streamed live online.
Learn more: www.worldbaristachampionship.org/2015-schedules/