The World of Coffee trade show is widely regarded as the premier gathering for the European coffee industry, featuring hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest in espresso machine technology, grinding innovations, and sustainable sourcing practices. However, the 2026 edition was defined by the high-stakes atmosphere of the competition stage, where competitors from dozens of nations vied for global recognition. These championships are the culmination of a year of rigorous preparation, technical refinement, and sensory training, with winners often seeing immediate impacts on their professional careers and the global standing of their respective coffee cultures.

The World Brewers Cup: A Triumph for Malaysia

The 2026 World Brewers Cup (WBrC) highlighted the craft of filter coffee brewing, emphasizing the competitor’s ability to extract the most nuanced flavors from manual brewing methods. After several rounds of compulsory and open service presentations, Nas Jaafar of Malaysia was crowned the 2026 World Brewers Cup Champion. Jaafar’s victory marks a significant milestone for the Malaysian specialty coffee scene, which has seen explosive growth in recent years.

The Brewers Cup competition is divided into two main components: the Compulsory Service and the Open Service. In the Compulsory Service, competitors must prepare three individual beverages using whole-bean coffee provided by the competition, ensuring a level playing field where technical skill and consistency are the primary metrics. In the Open Service, competitors select their own coffee and brewing equipment, delivering a 10-minute presentation that explains their coffee’s origin, processing method, and the specific brewing parameters used to achieve their desired flavor profile.

Jaafar’s performance was noted for its technical precision and the clarity of the coffee’s acidity and sweetness. Following Jaafar in the rankings was Simon Gautherin of Australia, who secured the Runner-Up position. Australia continues to be a dominant force in international coffee competitions, consistently producing finalists who push the boundaries of brewing science. Bavis Kwong of Hong Kong took third place, further cementing the strong presence of Asian competitors in the 2026 finals.

The full list of finalists for the World Brewers Cup included:

• Champion: Nas Jaafar, Malaysia
• Runner-Up: Simon Gautherin, Australia
• Third Place: Bavis Kwong, Hong Kong
• 4th Place: Jackie Tran, Czech Republic
• 5th Place: Ethan Junseong Park, South Korea
• 6th Place: Angie Molina, France

World Coffee in Good Spirits: The Intersection of Mixology and Caffeine

The World Coffee in Good Spirits (WCIGS) Championship celebrates the innovative fusion of specialty coffee and spirits. This discipline requires a dual mastery of barista skills and traditional bartending techniques. Competitors are judged on their ability to create balanced, inventive cocktails where coffee is the hero ingredient.

In the 2026 finals, Andy Philein of China emerged as the champion. Philein’s victory reflects the increasing sophistication of the Chinese specialty coffee market, which has transitioned from a burgeoning industry to a global leader in competition-grade talent. The judging panel evaluated entries based on visual appeal, aroma, and the synergy between the coffee’s flavor notes and the chosen spirits.

The runner-up for the WCIGS was Sion Wu, representing Chinese Taipei. The competition at the top was exceptionally close, with Akira Zushi of Japan taking the third-place podium. The high ranking of competitors from China, Chinese Taipei, and Japan underscores a broader trend in the industry: the center of gravity for coffee mixology is increasingly shifting toward East Asia.

The finalists for World Coffee in Good Spirits were:

• Champion: Andy Philein, China
• Runner-Up: Sion Wu, Chinese Taipei
• Third Place: Akira Zushi, Japan
• 4th Place: Serene Yu, Australia
• 5th Place: Dmitrii Shkliarov, Indonesia
• 6th Place: Ricky Chan, Hong Kong

World Roasters Championship: Host Nation Success

The World Roasters Championship (WRC) is perhaps the most technical of the three events held in Brussels. Unlike the performance-based nature of the Brewers Cup or Coffee in Good Spirits, the WRC focuses on the "behind-the-scenes" mastery of coffee production. Competitors are evaluated on their ability to grade green coffee, develop a roasting profile that maximizes the bean’s potential, and execute that profile with mathematical precision.

In a result that delighted the local crowd, Benjamin Brassart of Belgium was named the 2026 World Roasters Champion. Winning on home soil added an extra layer of significance to Brassart’s achievement, highlighting the strength of the Belgian roasting community. The WRC involves several days of competition, including green coffee grading, where competitors must identify defects in raw beans, and "sample roasting," where they test their initial theories on the coffee’s flavor profile.

Li Zhong Xiang of China secured the runner-up spot, marking China’s second appearance on the podium during the Brussels event. Thanasis Angelopoulos of Greece rounded out the top three. Greece has long been a powerhouse in the World Coffee Championships, and Angelopoulos’s performance reaffirmed the country’s reputation for technical excellence in roasting.

The 2026 World Roasters Championship finalists were:

• Champion: Benjamin Brassart, Belgium
• Runner-Up: Li Zhong Xiang, China
• Third Place: Thanasis Angelopoulos, Greece
• 4th Place: Ashton Huang, Chinese Taipei
• 5th Place: Andrea Trevisan, Austria
• 6th Place: Wang JianNing, China

Timeline and Competition Structure

The journey to the 2026 World Coffee Championships in Brussels began over twelve months ago with national-level competitions held in over 60 countries. Each national champion earned the right to represent their country on the world stage.

The Brussels event followed a strict three-day schedule:

1. Day One (Preliminaries): All competitors performed their initial routines. In the Roasters Championship, this involved the critical green coffee evaluation and the first production roasts. In the Brewers Cup and WCIGS, the first round of sensory judges evaluated the preliminary presentations.
2. Day Two (Semi-Finals): The field was narrowed down based on the scores from Day One. Competitors refined their presentations based on feedback and the specific environmental conditions of the Brussels venue (such as local water chemistry and humidity).
3. Day Three (Finals): The top six competitors in each category performed one final time. For the Roasters, this included the final "cupping" (tasting) of their production roasts by a blind panel of judges.

Analysis of Global Trends and Industry Impact

The results of the 2026 championships reveal several key trends currently shaping the specialty coffee industry. Most notably, the dominance of Asian competitors across all three disciplines—Brewers Cup, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Roasting—highlights the region’s massive investment in coffee education and infrastructure. China, Malaysia, and Hong Kong combined for a significant portion of the finalist spots, suggesting that the "Third Wave" of coffee has firmly established deep roots in these markets.

From a technical standpoint, the 2026 competitions saw an increased focus on experimental coffee processing. Many finalists utilized coffees that had undergone anaerobic fermentation or thermal shock processing, methods that produce distinct, often wine-like or tropical fruit flavor profiles. This shift indicates that the world’s top baristas and roasters are looking beyond traditional washed and natural processes to find the "competitive edge" required for a world title.

The economic implications for the winners are substantial. A World Coffee Championship title often leads to international consulting opportunities, lucrative brand partnerships, and a significant increase in the market value of the winner’s associated roasting company or coffee shop. For countries like Malaysia and Belgium, these victories serve as a point of national pride and can stimulate domestic interest in specialty coffee, encouraging a new generation of professionals to enter the field.

Official Designations and Organizational Updates

The 2026 championships also operated under updated naming conventions for certain regions. In accordance with international standards adopted by the World Coffee Championships, competitors from Taiwan are now designated as representing "Chinese Taipei." This change reflects a broader administrative alignment within the Specialty Coffee Association’s competitive framework.

As World of Coffee Brussels concludes, the focus of the SCA now shifts to the 2027 season. The organization has hinted at further refinements to the scoring rubrics to place even greater emphasis on sustainability and the traceability of the coffees used in competition. For now, the industry celebrates Nas Jaafar, Andy Philein, and Benjamin Brassart as the new standard-bearers of excellence in the global coffee community.