Competition.

World Coffee In Good Spirits Championship Rules

Rules and Score Sheets for download (ZIP file)

Article 1

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

All National Championships shall be coordinated and carried out according to the World Championship rules detailed in this document.

The standard competition format is comprised of having four (4) workstations on stage and two (2) competitors performing contemporaneously. Should such standard competition format be unachievable due to a limited number of participants and/or resources, a National Chapter may modify the standard format as follows:

Given a limited number participants and/or resources, the National Coordinator may choose to have one (1) competitor perform at any given time with one (1) set of judges accordingly.
Given a limited number participants and/or resources, the National Coordinator may choose to have one (1), two (2) or three (3) workstations on stage.

Article 2

STAGE

The stage shall be equipped with four (4) workstations.

Each workstation shall be equipped with the following equipment: one (1) professional espresso machine, one (1) professional coffee grinder, one (1) knock box, one (1) tamper and one (1) preparation table.

Points may be deducted for extra presentations (e.g. workstation décor such as tablecloths, flowers, etc.) as the main focus of this competition is on the beverages themselves. Only such presentation items directly associated with the beverages (e.g. glasses, garnishes, saucers, trays, etc.) shall be required.

The stage shall be equipped with two judges’ tables: one (1) per performing barista.

Article 3

FORMAT

The following format shall be adopted for competition Semi-finals:

There shall be two (2) competitors performing at the same time.
There shall be two (2) teams of judges scoring, one per performing barista.
The same music shall be played for both participants.
Headset microphones shall NOT be provided to semi-finalists. Consequently, participants shall make no verbal presentation to the audience. Participants are encouraged to address the judges at the judges’ table to facilitate good service.
The Master of Ceremonies (MC) shall facilitate the competition and shall explain to the audience what each participant is preparing.

The following format shall be adopted for competition Finals:

The six (6) top performing baristas shall participate in the competition Final.
All finalists shall enter the competition with an equal score of zero (0).
There shall be one (1) competitor performing at any given time.
There shall be one (1) team of judges scoring the performing barista.
Competitor finalists shall perform in reverse order.
The barista with the highest score shall remain on stage until he/she is defeated by a higher-scoring competitor.
Each participant may personalize the music played during his/her performance.
Headset microphones shall be provided to finalists. Consequently, each participant shall be able to address the audience and explain what he/she is preparing. Participants are encouraged to address the judges at the judges’ table to facilitate good service.

Article 4

COMPETITION TASKS

Each competitor shall have a maximum of eight (8) minutes to prepare and serve to the judges table: two (2) identical warm Irish Coffees and two (2) identical warm or cold coffee and alcohol Designer Beverages.

The two (2) identical warm Irish Coffees shall be served in designated glasses using whisky, sugar, coffee and cream as the only ingredients. No other ingredients may be used. The Irish Coffees are to be served WITHOUT a spoon or straw and decoration ingredients may NOT be applied. Additional details concerning the requirements for an Irish coffee shall be shown in the attached photographs.

The two (2) identical warm or cold coffee and alcohol Designer Beverages shall be prepared using coffee and any other ingredient(s) chosen by the competitor. Decorative edible ingredients may be applied to the SURFACE of the beverage ONLY.

The competitor shall serve the two (2) pairs of beverages to the judges at the judges’ table separately, but in any order.

It shall NOT be necessary for competitors to present photographs of their drinks (as in past years).

It is necessary that each competitor include the recipe of their Designer Beverage when registering his/her entry to the competition. The SCAE shall reserve the right to publish such Designer Beverage recipe at a later stage.

Article 5

INGREDIENTS

Coffee: each competitor is free to use the coffee and method of brewing of his/her choice. While espresso and filter brewing equipment shall be made available, competitors shall provide their own equipment if alternative brewing methods are chosen.

Cream: each competitor is free to use the cream of his/her choice. Although, the competition organizers shall provide a range of the most common creams available, each competitor is free to use his/her own cream, if he/she prefers to do so.

Sugar: each competitor is free to use the sugar of his/her choice. Although, the competition organizers shall provide sugar, each competitor is free to use his/her own sugar, if he/she prefers to do so.

Whiskey: in theory, Irish coffee should be prepared using an Irish whiskey. However, seeing as Irish whiskey may not be accessible in every country, any whisky may be used regardless of nationality, brand or age. In the event a sponsorship agreement is reached with a whisky manufacturer, where it is stipulated that only their whisky be used for the Irish coffee, it will be imperative that all competitors abide by this condition. The SCAE shall communicate any sponsorship agreements to competitors no later than eight (8) weeks prior to the World Championship Finals. Any such decisions shall have NO bearing to the competitors’ choice of whisky in their National competitions.

Other ingredients: ccompetitors shall be responsible for supplying all alcoholic beverages and any other ingredients they plan to use in the designer beverage.

Article 6

GLASSWARE

A standard Irish coffee glass (230 ml.) shall be provided by the competition organizers. No other glass may be used.

The designer beverage may be served in any cup or glass with no surface limitations.

Article 7

PERSONNEL & JUDGES

Stage Manager: One (1) Stage Manager shall be responsible for the coordination and management of the stage.

Barista Coordinator: One (1) Barista Coordinator shall be identified as the contact person for all competing baristas. The Barista Coordinator shall organize the trolley traffic onto and off of the stage, make certain that all the baristas are prepared for their presentation, etc.

Timers: Two (2) Timers shall be responsible for set up times and cleaning times.

Runners: Two (2) Runners shall be responsible to clean the tables as soon as the judges have completed judging.

Master of Ceremonies: One (1) MC shall facilitate the competition and shall explain to the audience what each competitor is preparing.

Scorekeepers/Technical People: Two (2) Scorekeepers/Technical People shall be responsible for displaying all score information once communicated to the participant and audience by the team of judges.

Judges: The team of judges shall be comprised of one (1) Head Judge, two (2) Taste Judges and two (2) Visual Judges:

Head Judge: The Head Judge shall make certain that all participants and judges follow the competition rules as detailed in this document.
Taste Judges: The Taste Judges shall be responsible for judging the taste of the beverages.
Visual Judges: The Visual Judges shall be responsible for judging the visual impression of the beverages.

Article 8

SCORING

Each judge shall provide a score from one (1) to ten (10) expressing their individual opinion of the beverages served according to the scoring criteria in Article 10.

The two (2) visual judges’ scores shall be averaged and announced as a single score out of ten (10) points. Hence the final score will be out of thirty (30), with a possible twenty (20) points for taste and a possible ten (10) points for visual appearance. Great tasting drinks are the main focus of this competition.

Scoring for each competitor shall be displayed publicly and immediately after judging is completed.

In the case of a tie, the competitor with the most detailed points shall win. The winner shall be considered as the barista with the highest score.

Article 9

TIME

The clock shall start when signalled by the MC.

The clock shall stop when the final beverage has been placed in front of the final judge.

Each competitor shall be allowed eight (8) minutes to prepare his/her workstation; this includes testing the espresso machine and grinder (although competitors may utilize their own grinders if desired), as well as preparing all ingredients and tools needed for the competition. No coffee or milk/cream preparation shall be done in advance.

Each competitor shall have eight (8) minutes to prepare the four (4) beverages. This includes the preparation of any added decorative element(s) for the surface of the Designer Beverage.

Each competitor shall have eight (8) minutes to clean his/her workstation.

A time penalty of a half of a point (-0.5) shall be applied for each ten 10 seconds in overtime. It shall be the responsibility of the Head Judge to subtract the penalty from the competitor’s overall score, if applicable. Any competitor going overtime by two (2) minutes or more shall be disqualified.

Article 10

JUDGING CRITERIA

The Taste Judges’ scores shall be based on the following criteria:

For all two (2) sets of beverages:
Pleasant drinking temperature
Quality of the coffee distinctly tasted in the drink
Balance and combination of flavours
Body / mouth feel of the drink
Creativity (choice of ingredients / methods / presentation) (designer beverage ONLY)
Commercially applicable (designer beverage ONLY)
Overall impression of the taste of the drink
Professional performance (service skills, confidence, flair)
Hospitality skills

The Visual Judges’ scores shall be based on the following criteria:

For the set of Irish Coffees:
Distinct separation of colour (coffee - cream)
Surface appearance
Correct composition (ingredient ratio) & level
For the set of designer beverages:
Visual creativity
Commercially applicable
Overall visual appeal
Workspace organised and clean at start
Coffee freshness evident
Coffee brewed professionally (understanding of grind texture, brewing time, brewing equipment)
Professional use of ingredients (knowledge of quality, flavour and preparation)
Professional performance (service skills, confidence, flair)
Hospitality skills
General hygiene throughout presentation

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Pictures and know-how about
»The-Correct and Not-So-Correct Irish Coffee«

Remarks

Machines used in the competition

The machines used in the competition come from the competition sponsor Dalla Corte.
The model will be DC PRO brushed aluminium model 2 group machine (http://dallacorte-pro.com/1form-gb.html).

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