Baristas and coffee enthusiasts will put their brewing skills to the test in the first regional AeroPress qualifying competition to be held in La Paz.
The AeroPress, a manual coffee maker that uses air pressure and microfiltration to brew a single cup of coffee in one to two minutes, has become a favorite among both casual coffee drinkers and specialty coffee professionals since its invention in 2005.
For the first time, La Paz will host a regional AeroPress competition as part of an international championship circuit. The event will take place July 4 and is expected to attract participants from municipalities across Baja California Sur as well as other cities in Mexico.
Qualifying Event for National Championship
Jocelyn Sánchez, co-founder of Cosmos Coffee Roasters, said the competition serves as a qualifying event for Mexico’s National AeroPress Championship, scheduled for Nov. 7 in Mexico City.
Sánchez added that Mexico will also host the AeroPress World Championship in 2026, bringing together competitors from around the globe.
So far, 10 participants have registered, although organizers expect between 15 and 20 competitors. Registered participants include representatives from La Paz, Los Cabos, Santa Rosalía and Tijuana.
The competition will be conducted in elimination rounds. During each round, competitors will have five minutes to prepare a recipe using the same coffee and water.
Judges will evaluate the beverages through a blind tasting process, meaning they will not know who prepared each cup.
“The judges select the cup they like best. What is evaluated is the flavor and balance of the drink,” Sánchez said. The winning cup from each round will advance until an overall champion is decided.
Growing Specialty Coffee Culture in BCS
Sánchez said specialty coffee culture has grown steadily in Baja California Sur in recent years. “It has been a culture that has grown little by little. The state has a coffee tradition, and more projects focused on specialty coffee continue to emerge,” she said.
The event will also feature guest coffee bars from across the state, including a project from Santa Rosalía, along with visitors from other cities throughout Mexico.
The competition will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Cosmos Tostadores de Café 2 in downtown La Paz.
Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about specialty coffee projects and participate in tasting activities organized by guest coffee bars.
Those interested in competing can request information through Cosmos Tostadores de Café’s social media channels. Registration costs 950 pesos.
Organizers also announced that Fuego y Leña restaurant will provide three scholarships covering 60% of the registration fee. Applicants must send an email to ho**@**************es.com explaining why they would like to participate.
Scholarship recipients will be selected this week.
The regional AeroPress competition on July 4 will mark the first event of its kind to be held in La Paz.
