Foam, Flavour and Flair: Beverage Battle Brews Again
On Thursday 9th October, the Beverage Battle returned to Extract Coffee roasters HQ in London – bigger, bolder and fizzier than ever, as 15 finalists stepped up to the challenge.
Armed with shakers, stirrers and sky-high creativity, they battled it out through four epic rounds of caffeine-fuelled flavour and flair:
- Brew bar – the ultimate test of brewing the best cup
- Aroma round – sniff and swirl to identify the scents in Le Nez du Cafe
- Taste, taste, taste – a palate distinguisher between the subtle and the bold
- Beverage bar – the showstopper. Signature cocktails that had to embody our 5 C’s: carbon, craft, creativity, community and cheer
Competitors had just 10 minutes to craft two signature drinks to impress the judges, representing a combination of morning, noon and night. New for this year, one of the beverages had to contain either espresso or filter coffee. The energy was off the charts and creations were wildly inventive, from moonfire matcha and banoffee colada, to zero-waste pumpkin spiced martini and cardamom and fig shaken coffee.
Head of beverage development and head judge, Jana Slamova said: “The Beverage Battle was such a joy to be a part of! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment (and sip!) The talent, creativity and passion from every competitor involved was incredible. The standard just keeps rising and it’s inspiring to see how far the competition and power of beverage has come”.
The winners were…
1st place: Rosie Barnes-Dennison who wowed judges with her On the Rise (smoked cinnamon and sea salt honey iced latte topped with cold foam) and Song of the Stars (rosemary and blackberry vodka spritz).
2nd place: Gemma Bidgood with ‘Break a Leg’ (homemade ginger, honey and lemon-infused espresso soda) and ‘Julia’ (Lavendar gin with pomegranate, cranberry and lemon) inspired by the song Julia by Reeder.
3rd place: Tamara Taylor whose drinks followed the rhythm of the day: Sun – cascara and white peach spritz (morning) and Soil – tomato and coffee martini (noon), distinctly savoury like a garden at dusk.
It wasn’t just about the drinks — chefs Chris Terry and Sam Fisk brought the flavour game too. Their delicious, bite-sized creations perfectly complemented the beverages, from mango, lime and coconut birchers for breakfast, to banana and date energy bites for an afternoon pick-me-up, and a grazing table featuring Lake District Farmers and Coble Lane cured meats with Belazu pickles.
No one went thirsty on the day — last year’s winner Isaac kept the drinks flowing with his delicious inger assam latte, hojicha and tangerine negronis and salted plum spritz.
Of course, no Beverage Battle would be complete without the latte art smackdown finale – swans, tulips, hearts and plenty of frothy chaos to end the day on a high.
Winner, Rosie said: “I love coffee and I love beverages! I am so shocked – I can’t believe I’ve won! This means a lot to me – thank you so much”.
Huge congratulations to our finalists and winners. Roll on year three!
You’ll be able to catch all the action (and the froth!) over on our socials and YouTube shortly.