Spin the Wheel at Counter Culture Coffee’s New Brewing Competition Brewlette

Image courtesy of Counter Culture Coffee.

North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee is launching a free manual brewing competition series called Brewlette, designed to remove some common barriers to participation among coffee pros and home enthusiasts alike. 

The series is taking place at regional Counter Culture training centers, running alongside numerous Coffee Fest trade shows, beginning with New York (March 7), then heading to Chicago (June 14), Los Angeles (Aug. 23) and Dallas-Fort Worth (Oct. 19). Registration for each event kicks off a month before each competition date.

Brewlette’s format starts with 13 competitors and two fast-paced rounds. In round one, each competitor spins a “Brewlette Wheel” that randomly assigns a target TDS (total dissolved solids) percentage. Brewers then have eight minutes to produce a manually brewed coffee that lands as close as possible to their assigned TDS. The eight closest advance.

Counter Culture’s New York training center. Courtesy photo.

Round two shifts from measurements to taste in the cup. Competitors face off in a randomly generated bracket for timed heats using a single competition coffee, selected by coin flip. A panel of three judges tastes the coffees without knowing who brewed them or how, then selects a winner in each matchup until a Brewlette champion is crowned.

Counter Culture Coffee National Education Manager Jenna Gotthelf said the concept grew out of an idea first scribbled down in some work notes in 2021. Trying to hit a randomly assigned TDS requires some basic skill, but also a fair amount of luck, Gotthelf told DCN.

“Whether it is obvious or not, luck is a part of all competitions,” Gotthelf said. “Why not highlight luck as a variable while also creating an opportunity to educate and demystify the concept of TDS through a competition?”

Registration for the 13 competitor slots for the March 7 New York competition opened Feb. 7 on Eventbrite with an access code, and there will be a waitlist if registration fills.

Held in conjunction with the trade-focused Coffee Fest shows, Brewlette events are designed to be open and spectator-friendly, with guests able to taste coffees from the first competition round.

Find all the registration information and rules here. 

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