On Sunday 30th April, representing his native Galway and Kali Coffee Bar in Salthill, Enda
Johnston was crowned champion of the Irish Brewers Cup.
The competition, to find the best filter coffee brewer in Ireland, took place over two days in
the Galway City Distillery. Fourteen competitors from all around the country went head-to-
head in three intensive rounds of coffee brewing.
The first round challenged all fourteen competitors to work with a coffee they had never
brewed before, creating a recipe and routine from scratch. Enda delivered his 10 minute
presentation to the panel of world renowned judges with ease.
The second and final rounds were the pièce de résistance: competitors showcased their
chosen coffee and accompanying presentations, which they had been working on for
months. All 14 had only 10 minutes to show the very best of their technical coffee
knowledge, honed palate and hospitality skill.
Enda chose a coffee near to his heart, creating a blend between two varieties from
Manhattan Coffee Roasters in Rotterdam. Both coffees came from Finca El Paraiso in
Colombia and were grown by farmer Diego Bermudez.
Enda’s theme was accessibility and he showed this by blending two coffees, to showcase
the amazing possibilities of what blending can bring to the specialty coffee industry. Making
high priced coffees more accessible to cafe patrons and ensuring that farmers get more
income for their hard work they do.
The Kali team, comprising of co-owner, Laura Kelly, and barista, Lana Gormley, are
delighted with the win. “Seeing all the long hours, hard work and love for this industry paid
off is amazing. I’m so proud of Enda.” said Laura. “When they announced the winner as the,
“the local hero Enda” it made it even more special!”
Kali Coffee Bar is a specialty coffee bar located on Salthill’s main street. Owned by two
coffee lovers, Enda and Laura, they focus on showcasing high quality Irish and European
roasters that put the emphasis on building relationships with the farmers, paying fair prices,
and focusing on quality. Kali opened its doors in January 2021 and is now the proud home of
the Irish Brewers Cup Champion!
What’s next for the champion? Next up is representing Ireland in the International Brewers
Cup. Taking place at World of Coffee in Athens, June 22nd-24th.