Be a part of us as we discover the highlights of the 2024 Ljubljana Espresso Pageant, a vibrant celebration of Slovenia’s ever-growing specialty-coffee tradition.
BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT
Featured picture courtesy of Tim Hafner
This September, Barista Journal On-line was on the bottom in Slovenia to witness one among Europe’s most fun espresso occasions: the Ljubljana Espresso Pageant. Held on the Ljubljana Metropolis Museum, the occasion introduced collectively espresso lovers, roasters, and business professionals for 2 caffeine-filled days of tastings, competitions, workshops, and conversations.
The pageant boasted a powerful lineup of visitor audio system for lectures and cuppings, that includes famend espresso specialists, world champion baristas, and prime cooks from Slovenia and past. The vitality all through the occasion was contagious, with energetic discussions and interactions at each nook. The venue itself was not solely an ideal area for exploring the world of specialty espresso but additionally provided a fantastic alternative to study extra about Slovenia’s historical past and the allure of its capital, Ljubljana.
Let’s take a look at some highlights from the pageant!
Data, Innovation & New Flavors
One in every of my private highlights was the Sensory Room, the place pageant goers may pattern coffees from around the globe. Among the many coffees I cupped was one from Los Nogales farm in Colombia, produced by Angie Hernández Arango. I had the chance to speak together with her in regards to the day-to-day life on the farm, gaining perception into their sustainability practices and the challenges they face. I additionally acquired to strive their pure low-caffeine Typica, a range that actually stood out to me with its distinctive taste profile—clear and easy.
I additionally had the privilege of attending a number of lectures at The Lab, however one which significantly stood out was by Jorge Castro from Café Inmaculada in Colombia, the place he spoke about rising unique varieties. The viewers realized that cultivating these varieties not solely requires meticulous care but additionally opens up new potentialities for creating distinctive taste profiles that may set farms aside within the aggressive specialty-coffee market.
Showcasing Expertise & Slovenian Espresso
The aggressive spirit was palpable all through the pageant, particularly on the Barista Battle Problem and the Latte Artwork Throwdown. It was thrilling to see Aleš Gorenc from Barcaffe take dwelling the Latte Artwork Throwdown trophy, executing a seahorse design in entrance of none apart from Manuela Fensore and Carmen Clemente, each World Latte Artwork Champions. The following day, Sabin Minea from Mala Pražarna confirmed distinctive ability and creativity in successful the Barista Battle Problem.
On the coronary heart of the pageant was the colourful Roaster Village, a bustling space full of native and worldwide espresso exhibitors. This was the place I had the chance to satisfy a few of Slovenia’s prime roasters and check out their distinctive choices. The Slovenian espresso scene is really coming into its personal, and I used to be significantly impressed by the range of flavors and methods on show. I even had the prospect to strive a co-fermented espresso, in addition to a espresso brandy and a surprisingly scrumptious decaf that stood out for its smoothness and depth of taste.
Moderating the Specialty Espresso & Haute Delicacies Panel
A key second for me personally was moderating the “Specialty Espresso & Haute Delicacies“ panel. Bringing collectively the culinary and occasional worlds, the dialogue featured famend espresso specialists like James Hoffmann, Tim Wendelboe, Dale Harris, and prime Slovenian cooks like Igor Jagodic, Tomaž Bratovž, and Mojmir Šiftar. We explored the position of specialty espresso—and occasional basically—in positive eating, discussing whether or not espresso will be handled with the identical respect as wine or different key components, and checked out the way it can improve the general gastronomic expertise.
Avenue Meals, Signature Drinks, and Slovenia’s Rising Espresso Scene
The pageant wouldn’t have been full with out its indulgent meals choices and artistic espresso cocktails. The road meals scene was filled with surprises, starting from artisanal Slovenian fare to worldwide bites that completely complemented the espresso on provide.
After all, I couldn’t resist sampling the signature drinks crafted by World Espresso in Good Spirits Champion Martin Hudak. His progressive cocktails—expertly mixing espresso with spirits—have been a standout expertise and the right approach to wrap up a day of tastings.
This 12 months’s Ljubljana Espresso Pageant highlighted simply how a lot Slovenia’s specialty-coffee tradition has developed because the occasion’s first version in 2016. Being a part of this 12 months’s festivities, it’s clear that Slovenia is carving out a well-deserved place on the worldwide espresso stage. Be sure that to maintain a watch out for subsequent 12 months’s version of the Ljubljana Espresso Pageant—you received’t wish to miss it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a main give attention to the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate individuals about baristas and their work.
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