A weekend full of coffee culture

From Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20, the third edition of the Amsterdam Coffee Festival will take place in and around the Westergasfabriek. The festival has since become the largest event in the Benelux centered on coffee culture.

The event is designed to present the best coffee brands, independent coffee shops, and talented baristas to the coffee industry as well as coffee lovers. At the festival, visitors can taste many different (new) types of coffee, try out the latest equipment and technologies, and expand their knowledge.

Exclusive
The coffee roaster and the brand Illy are sponsoring various workshops, demonstrations, and presentations regarding the roasting of coffee, espressos, and latte art. Visitors can also enjoy the VIP Food Pairing Experience: during the Amsterdam Coffee Festival, the restaurant ‘Scandinavian Embassy’ will set up a pop-up restaurant in the VIP suite The Apartment. The served three-course dinner will be a special pairing of fine dishes and coffee.

Matches
In addition, the Amsterdam Coffee Festival hosts three SCAE NL barista championships. One of these is the Dutch Barista Championship, in which six finalists—selected from earlier preliminary rounds—compete against each other. Each barista is expected to make four identical cappuccinos, espressos, and their own creations, which are subsequently judged by a professional jury. The winner then represents the Netherlands at the world championship, in which more than fifty countries participate.

The second competition is the Dutch Brewerscup, in which baristas will compare different filter methods; traditional methods will be put to the test against the latest techniques.

One can also participate in the ‘Dutch Cup Taster’ competition, in which baristas compete to be the one who can taste what the coffee drinker doesn't realize, but which makes all the difference. The key here is for the ‘taster’ to be able to distinguish different coffee differentiations and coffee flavors.

Finally, tea lovers can also experience the tension of the competition. The four finalists are given fifteen minutes to brew three types of tea. During this time, they brew a tea of their choice, discuss the brewing method (infusion), and explain where the tea comes from. The final round is a tea/food pairing, in which the finalist presents their signature tea with a matching dish.

Information
On Friday, March 18, the festival is specifically aimed at the coffee industry from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; from 5:00 PM onwards, the public is also welcome until 10:00 PM. On Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, the event is open to the general public from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Tickets are here to order.
For more information, look at amsterdamcoffeefestival.com.

Photo: Facebook Amsterdam Coffee Festival