The World Cup of Coffee !
Andrea Illy, an Italian coffee expert, gathered a group of tired coffee lovers to judge 27 cups from nine countries. On a recent Thursday morning, nine coffee experts met on the 40th floor of a hotel. They tasted 27 cups from different countries—nine cold-brewed, nine drip, and nine espresso. The cups were numbered, but the judges didn’t know the countries. Their ratings decided the winner of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award.
The judges, flown in from around the world, were a diverse group. They sipped and slurped, trying to find the best coffee. David Brussa, Illy’s quality officer, guided them to trust their instincts. Andrea Illy, the chairman, sneakily tasted coffee, wearing an elegant suit. His family has a history in coffee machines since 1935.
Illy explained the origin of the tournament. In the ’90s, coffee quality was poor, so they started a competition to inspire better coffee. Brazil benefited the most. Illy sampled cups, asking for codes from his barista. Cup No. 7 surprised him.
After a U.N. meeting, Illy announced Brazil as the winner at a gala. Illy emphasized coffee’s health benefits. He enjoyed an espresso, stating America’s coffee culture evolved from fuel to a delicious product. How could the U.S. match Italian sophistication?
“Education. Education. Education,” Illy insisted. And lots of espresso—without milk. ☕🏆
