Azerbaijan’s First-Ever Coffee Championship Among Coffeeshops – "Azerbaijan Coffee Cup 25"
On 5 April 2025, the Sea Breeze Event Hall hosted Azerbaijan’s first-ever national championship among coffeeshops under the title "Azerbaijan Coffee Cup 25". Organised by Baristica LLC, a local coffee producer, the event brought together professional baristas, coffee enthusiasts, industry representatives, and international guests from across the country. This landmark event marked a significant step in promoting barista culture and fostering the growth of the coffee industry in Azerbaijan.
The primary aim of the championship was to support the professional development of local baristas, provide a platform for them to showcase their creativity, and promote coffee culture to a wider audience. At the same time, the event created fresh networking opportunities for individuals and businesses operating in this vibrant sector.
Fifteen leading coffee venues and their teams took part in the competition, assessed on criteria such as teamwork, customer service, signature drink presentation, and stage performance.
Each team submitted a presentation video on the theme "A Day in the Life of a Barista", created two signature beverages – one hot, one cold – to demonstrate their coffee concepts and technical skills, and performed a 15-minute live presentation on stage.
The opening ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests and dignitaries: Farhad Hajiyev - Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Orkhan Mammadov - Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA), Emin Dostiari- Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Food and Beverage Industry Association, Manuel Adalberto Carlos Montenegro Lopes da Cruz - Ambassador of Brazil to Azerbaijan, Rustam Bagautdinov - Director of Baristica LLC and main initiator of the event
The presentations were judged by a panel of internationally recognised coffee professionals: Alireza Razzaghzadeh – AST trainer, SCA Champion (Gaziantep, Türkiye), Nikolay Strelnikov – Founder of Russian Barista Project, AST trainer (St Petersburg, Russia), Daria Bekasova – CQI and SCA expert (Moscow, Russia), Kevser Atmaca – World championship judge and laureate (Gaziantep, Türkiye), Orkun Ustel – Champion and international judge (Istanbul, Türkiye), Irina Sharipova – AST trainer, Q Grader, Assistant Instructor (Dubai, UAE), Ramil Rzayev – Head Bartender at Floo Family, winner of the “Coffee & Alcohol” championship (Moscow, Russia), Natali Gorshkova – Champion and representative of Kookaburra Coffee (Istanbul, Türkiye), Scoring was based on a 180-point system and included key criteria such as balance, flavour, presentation, and visual appeal of the coffee; team spirit and professional conduct on stage and zero-waste approach and creative concepts.
Winners are – Coffee Hub (1st Place), Baristica (2nd Place), and CoffeeLin (3rd Place).
The winning teams received Sanremo CUBE espresso machines, a trip to the HOSTMilano 2025 exhibition, coffee accessories, and other prizes.
The event was attended by around 250 guests, including representatives from NARGIS Magazine, ITV television channel, coffee bloggers and industry experts from Azerbaijan.
The Baristica team plans to hold the championship annually, with increased participation from regional coffeeshops. The next "Azerbaijan Coffee Cup" is scheduled for spring 2026.
