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Following four days of thrilling competition and taking on 52 competitors from around the world, on 4 May Mikael Jasin of Indonesia was crowned World Barista Champion 2024 at World of Coffee Busan.
“I’ve been visualising the moment holding Hide’s, Dale’s, or Boram’s trophies (2014 World Barista Champion, Hide Izaki; 2016 World Barista Champion, Dale Harris; 2023 World Barista Champion, Boram Um), and to finally hold one feels surreal. It’s a combination of ‘if you dream it, you can make it work’,” says Mikael.
The final rankings of this year’s World Barista Championship were announced on Saturday evening, with runner up Jack Simpson of Australia missing out on the top spot to Mikael Jasin by a single point. Japan’s Takayuki Ishitani placed third, Honoka Kawashima of Aotearoa/New Zealand placed fourth, South Korea’s Junghwan Lim placed fifth, Ian Kissick of Ireland placed sixth, and The Netherlands’ Zjevaun Lemar Janga placed seventh.
As part of their 15-minute performance, competitors must prepare four espressos, four milk drinks, and four original signature drinks and present them to a panel of WCC-certified judges. Competitors are scored on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation.
Mikael’s performance was centred around mindfulness, and as part of his routine he said: “The mind is so powerful, it allows us to elevate a simple coffee into an incredible tasting experience.” For the milk and signature rounds, he used an Ethiopian landrace coffee from Colombia. For the espresso round, he showcased a Panamanian geisha. You can watch Mikael’s routine here.
“It was beyond an honour to share Head Judge role with Sylvia Gutierrez this year,” says Scott Conary, World Barista Championship Head Judge.
“The judges were able to experience the highest level of coffee passion as well as the expertly made drinks in the heartfelt and engaging presentations these experts shared on stage. The level just keeps increasing every year as baristas embrace innovation along with their desire to keep our industry improving in every aspect, with the competition stage acting as a forum for sharing these ideas and the coffee preparations proving their points with tangible evidence.”
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