The 2024 German AeroPress Championship
Setting the Stage
Ah, the mighty and beloved AeroPress. It's like the cool, adventurous cousin of coffee brewers! It’s a compact, super simple device that lets you make a delicious cup of coffee wherever you are—in your kitchen, at work, or while camping halfway up a mountain. People love the AeroPress, and do you know what else they love, a little friendly competition? Enter the AeroPress championship.
This year marked my second round of organising the German AeroPress Championship, and it was our most dynamic yet.
Held at the Five Elephant roastery, we welcomed 54 passionate brewers from across Germany for a spirited competition. Events like this aren’t just about coffee—they’re about creating connections. At Five Elephant, it’s the biggest event of the year, pulling in coffee lovers, potential customers, and sponsors to one space. It’s a way of deepening brand loyalty through shared experiences.
Conceptualising the Event: The Vision
The idea behind hosting the championship is to bring people together, to turn a love for coffee into a communal experience. With the AeroPress, it’s all about the taste, not the technicalities, which gives both pros and casual brewers an equal shot at winning. This laid-back vibe is what makes the AeroPress competition such a unique event—it's inclusive, energetic, and accessible for everyone.
Planning and Logistics: The Backbone
Months of preparation went into transforming our roastery into a vibrant championship hub. From setting up competition stations to crafting a smooth event timeline, it took a dedicated team handling everything from registration to coordinating contestant logistics. Our main focus was to keep things organised yet relaxed, ensuring a great experience for everyone involved.
Sponsorship: Getting Brands on Board
Our sponsors are crucial to the success of an event like this. From bringing in our friends at Oatly and La Marzocco, we looked for brands that add genuine value to the experience. The pitch to them was simple: this is a chance to put a friendly face to their brand, be part of the community, and reach a highly engaged audience. Building these partnerships was one of my favorite aspects of the event—it's amazing to see brands step up, bringing their own creativity to the mix.
Marketing and Promotion: Building Buzz
To spread the word, we leaned heavily on social media, engaging with Berlin’s coffee scene and beyond. Collaborations with local baristas and influencers helped create a buzz, attracting coffee enthusiasts to sign up and attend. Unique touches, like behind-the-scenes content and brewing tips, kept our audience excited right up to event day.
Championship Poster. Artwork by Jessica Antúnez
Day of the Event: Execution
The day was electric. Contestants and spectators alike were drawn into the friendly but intense atmosphere, cheering for their favourite brewers. Highlights included a lively brew bar from Best Brew and a kicker competition orgnaised by La Marzocco. There were some unexpected challenges—mostly handling the huge turnout—but the team worked together to ensure everything ran smoothly.
Results and Aftermath: Wrapping It Up
There could only be one winner when it was all said and done, and Daniel Grinemaer took home the golden AeroPress title and a trip to take part in the world finals in Lisbon.
The winning recipe:
Brewer position: Inverted (coffee first)
Dose: 18g
Filter: 1x Sibarist filter paper, Dry
Grind: 1Zpresso ZP6, 5.5
Water: 50ppm MgCl, 20ppm CaCl, 20ppm Sodium Citrate, 10ppm NaHCO3, 96°C
Method:
1. Pouring: Pour 90g of water in a circular pattern while giving the AeroPress small twists to evenly wet the coffee bed until you reach around 70g. Continue pouring the remaining water in a controlled manner.
2. Stirring: At 0:50-1:20, stir the mixture 20 times back and forth using the AeroPress stir paddle.
3. Swirling: At 1:30, swirl the Aeropress 5 times.
4. Preparing to Press: Push out excess air and screw on the cap with the dry Sibarist filter paper.
5. Pressing: At 2:30, flip the AeroPress and press slowly until around 3:00.
6. Yield and Dilution: You should yield between 56-58g of concentrate. Dilute with a mix of hot water and room temperature water to end with 150g of brewed coffee at around 46°C.
7. On the day of brewing, this was approximately 40g of hot water and 50g of room temperature water.
Final Thoughts: Reflection
No matter the size of your brand, connecting with your audience through genuine, shared experiences is invaluable. Events like the German AeroPress Championship are proof that building community isn’t just a strategy; it’s a way to foster loyalty, spark connections, and create lasting memories. In a world where we all crave meaningful interactions, bringing people together around your brand has never been more essential.
