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WORLD BARISTA CHAMPIONSHIP World Barista Championship 2012 The delightfully charming and historical city of Vienna, Austria, played host to the 2012 World Barista Championship (WBC) in late June, as part of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe's annual World of Coffee Conference and Expo. With fantastic public transport, exceptional weather, charming cafés, breathtaking architecture, and more than a few people strolling the streets dressed like Mozart at any given time, Vienna was a perfect backdrop for this coffee event of the year. Baristas from more than 50 countries came together for four days here, June 21–24, to compete for the title of World Barista Champion, which is the highest honor in the industry a barista can earn. In the end, it was the repeat Barista Champion of Guatemala, Raul Rodas, who won the crown. The whirlwind event was filled with exhilaration and tears, anticipation and joy and in a few cases, crushing disappointment. WBC-level competitors spend years upon years practicing for the 15 minutes on stage they will have in front of this audience, and their skill and service levels mount exponentially year after year. But there can be only one winner in the end. Join us here in Barista Magazine's annual WBC Special Section as we relive the moments of glory, fun and community written into history over those few days in June in glorious Vienna. RAUL RODAS, 2012 WORLD BARISTA CHAMPION Page 44 THE WBC IN PICTURES Page 52 THE 2012 WBC YEARBOOK Centerfold CHAMPION AT LARGE: ALEJANDRO MENDEZ'S 2011 WBC CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR Page 58 Interview by Sarah Allen Photography by Amanda Wilson Photography by Amanda Wilson Interview by Sarah Allen