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U.S. AEROPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUTS, AND WORLD AEROPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP LANDS STATESIDE Since its debut in the confines of the cozy Tim Wendelboe café in Oslo, Norway, just a few years ago, the World AeroPress Championship (WAC) has gained loads of fans and followers— but it maintains the spontaneous, grassroots character that defined it from the beginning as a competition darling. It's fast, fun and spirited, and organizer Tim Varney says it's going to stay that way. The WAC has grown up to the point that it moved its stage from a café to a show floor, marking its supremely popular debut into the trade show setting when it launched in conjunction with the World Barista Championship in 2010 in London. Momentum then brought it to the HOST event in Milan in 2011, where the WAC took over the stylish Marco booth and drew masses of baristas to watch as Jeff Verellen of CaffeNation in Belgium won top honors. And now, for the first time, the WAC is coming to the United States, where the international competition will take place under Varney's watchful eye at the La Marzocco booth (#3101) during the Specialty Coffee Association of America's annual conference and trade show, which will be held in Portland, Ore., in April. But first—before the WAC is to commence—the travelling Aeropress extravaganza will host a United States Championship to determine a national representative for the WAC. With 21 spots available for the first round of competition, the USAC will begin at 11 a.m. on April 20. Organizer Brent Fortune provides the details: • First/open round: A competitor may use any coffee they choose, provided it is 14 months off harvest (harvested in 2011 or 2012). The coffee being used, and recipe, must be disclosed in advance to the head judge. Competitors www.baristamagazine.com 21 will compete three at a time, with the winner of each heat advancing. • Semifinals round: The coffee will be provided by the USAC. Origin and roaster will be announced April 1. Samples of this coffee will be available for pick up in Portland on the week prior to the 2012 USAC. The same roast profile of this coffee will be abailable to all semifinals competitors on the day of competition. The top seven competitors from the first round will be joined by the two regional champions (Northeast and Northwest) for a total of nine competitors. The three winning pressers will advance to the final round. • Final round: All coffee information is the same as for the semifinal round. The top three competitors will compete for the title of US AeroPress Champion. For more information about the regional champions, and registration information, visit usaeropress.tumbler.com. The newly crowned U.S. AeroPress Champ will need to put off the champagne swilling for a bit, however, as the World AeroPress Championships will commence just hours after the USAC. The WAC will take place in the La Marzocco booth from 2–4 p.m. on April 20. For more information about the WAC, visit worldworldaeropresschampionship. wordpress.com. —Sarah Allen PHOTO BY BRIAN W. JONES