Colombo hosts beverage competition

Baristas from several parts of the world, converged on Colombo from July 18 to 20 to showcase their skills at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf World Barista Competition 2016. "We take great pride in having Sri Lanka chosen to host such a event in the world of specialty coffee.

The event will serve to not only showcase the impressive strides that we made as a franchise but also in terms of the truly unique character of Sri Lanka as a destination," said Calamander Group Chairman, Roman Scott, owner and operator of the Sri Lankan franchise of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Hosted in Sri Lanka for the first time, the event drew over 100 competitors of various nationalities including teams from the USA, Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, Malaysia, East Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, Cambodia, India, Bangladesh, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Georgia.

Organised in line with Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) rules - the world's foremost authority on coffee and the largest coffee trade association globally - competitors were given 15 minutes to brew and serve three types of espresso-based coffee drinks. Each of the preparations was assessed for smell, taste, and quality of preparation presentation, while the 'specialty drink' will provide contestants with the opportunity to showcase their creativity and skill in infusing their own unique twist to a standard espresso based beverage.