From February 22 to 24, the German Coffee in Good Spirits Championships will take place in Bremen. This year, Olli will be competing again. After his first experience on stage last year, he’s returning with more preparation, clearer routines, and plenty of lessons learned.

For those who aren’t familiar with the format yet, here’s a quick overview of what Coffee in Good Spirits is all about—and what goes into competing.

What is Coffee in Good Spirits?

Coffee in Good Spirits is a competition that brings together the worlds of specialty coffee and bar culture. The goal is to understand coffee not just as a beverage, but as an aromatic component in complex mixed drinks.

At the national level, the competition consists of two disciplines:

Signature Drink

In this category, competitors have a high degree of creative freedom. Coffee, spirits, ingredients, style, and presentation are all self-defined. The drink should demonstrate how creatively—and logically—coffee and alcohol can be combined.

Irish Coffee

The mandatory drink for everyone: a classic Irish Coffee made with strong filter coffee, sugar, whiskey, and cream. Despite its simplicity, this drink is technically demanding—temperature, balance, and texture are all crucial.

Both disciplines require the combination of two skill sets: on one side, barista craft—coffee preparation, sensory skills, extraction, and cleanliness. On the other, knowledge from the bar world: understanding spirits, production methods, flavor logic, and balance in the final drink.

Judging is based not only on taste, but also on how well the concept is explained and whether the drink could realistically be served in a café or bar setting.

Looking Back at Last Year’s Competition

Last year, Olli’s presentation revolved around the theme of friendship and connection. The idea was inspired by a multi-month journey through South America, where he spent several weeks living and working on coffee farms. During that time, he formed many personal connections, which he now associates with specific flavors and aromas.

One defining experience was his first encounter with fresh cacao fruit on a farm in Peru. The pulp of a fresh cacao pod tastes surprisingly exotic—with notes of lychee, pineapple, and mango—and has very little in common with the familiar flavor of cocoa or chocolate. This experience became the starting point for his Signature Drink.

The drink combined cacao fruit juice with a rum from Oaxaca (Mexico) and a coffee from Colombia—both places that were part of the journey. It was named “Cumpa,” a word from an indigenous language in northern Peru, meaning friend or companion.

For the coffee, a washed Geisha variety from producer Wilder Lasso was selected together with our partner and friend Nikolai Fürst. The coffee was exceptionally clean, with pronounced notes of lavender and lemongrass, adding an elegant floral freshness to the drink.

The Irish Coffee was also intentionally reinterpreted: an anaerobically processed Chiroso by Jorge Elias Rojas—also sourced through Nikolai—brought intense notes of port wine, chocolate praline, and rum. The drink was complemented by a syrup made from coffee blossom honey, the required Jameson whiskey, and cream. The result was reminiscent of a Black Forest cake-inspired dessert.

When Small Details Decide Everything

Overall, the first competition went well—until a small rule violation led to disqualification. Due to a delay, the cream and ice had to be re-chilled shortly before the presentation. The freezer, however, was located below the presentation table. During the routine, Olli briefly reached underneath the table—something strictly prohibited by the rules. All items must remain visible on the work surface at all times.

This example highlights how strict these competitions are. It’s not just about taste or creativity, but also about absolute precision, rule compliance, and clean execution.

On top of that, there’s intense time pressure: within just ten minutes, both drinks must be prepared, presented, explained, shaken, assembled, and served. Planning, structure, and routine are essential.

Preparation, Training, and New Learnings

Preparation for last year’s competition started about three to four months in advance—initially relaxed, then increasingly intense. In hindsight, however, the training window was too short to fully internalize all processes.

This is one of the key learnings for this year: preparation started much earlier. Recipes, presentation, and movements are being developed and practiced more systematically. The presentation itself has also become clearer and more structured.

Another important takeaway: a good story adds value—but not at the expense of scoring criteria. Elements such as serving temperature, real-world applicability in a café or bar, and sensory clarity must be communicated precisely. The story is now more condensed, with a stronger focus on what truly matters.

The goal is for every movement on stage to feel natural and for the entire presentation to remain consistent, even under pressure.

Competition Also Means Logistics

An often underestimated aspect of these competitions is the logistical effort. For the last championship, Olli traveled with gas canisters, glass chillers, foaming equipment, and numerous ingredients. The cacao fruit juice needed to be aerated, and the glasses had to be chilled without ice—requiring additional equipment and planning.

Transporting everything across the exhibition grounds was an adventure in itself.

Inspiration Beyond the Competition

The competition preparation sparked even more ideas for us: it led to the development of our own spirits series and cocktail events at the café. The first event already took place in August 2025 and is likely to return this May. Many drink ideas that don’t make it onto the competition stage find their place there instead.

Outlook

Preparation for Bremen is already in full swing. More information about the championships can be found via SCA Germany at scagermany.coffee. The Latte Art and Barista Championships will also take place at the same time.

For those who can’t attend in person, there will be a livestream to follow the competitions. Feel free to tune in—and keep your fingers crossed for Olli!

We’ll share a detailed recap after the championships. For now, it’s back to training.