Past editions

2018

EIICA AWARD

Best of the Best

Ngororero Coffee Washing Station from Rwanda, represented by Ms. Philotée Muzika

Coffee Lovers’ Choice

Ngororero Coffee Washing Station from Rwanda, represented by Ms. Philotée Muzika

THE JURY

Mark Pendergrast (Jury Mentor)

a best-selling American author, Pendergrast is known throughout the coffee community for his books Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed Our World, and Beyond Fair Trade: How One Small Coffee Company Helped Transform a Hillside Village in Thailand.

Owen Dugan

Dugan is Features Editor at Wine Spectator, widely regarded as the leading magazine for wine enthusiasts. He is considered to be among the world’s foremost experts in viniculture, bringing him naturally to his role as expert coffee juror.

Alfio Ghezzi

Ghezzi is Executive Chef of Locanda Margon in the Trentino territory of Italy. Under his leadership, Locanda Margon became the first restaurant in the region to receive two Michelin stars, the first in 2011, the second five years later.

Peter Giuliano

Giuliano is Chief Research Officer at Specialty Coffee Association, one of coffee’s leading industry associations. He has held nearly every conceivable job in coffee, from roaster to cupper to buyer, and is former co-owner of Counterculture Coffee.

Keri Goodman

Goodman is owner and publisher of CoffeeTalk Media. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the coffee industry and in coffee non-profit endeavors. She specializes in helping to make lasting and profitable connections among professionals in all facets of the industry.

Antonia Klugmann

Klugman is among the most sensational rising stars of the northern Italian culinary scene. After apprenticing with numerous chefs, her own restaurant, L’Argine a Vencó, was soon awarded a Michelin star after opening in 2014.

Sunalini Menon

Menon is Asia’s first female professional in the field of coffee tasting, also known as coffee cupping. She has been called “Asia’s first lady of coffee.” Formerly, Menon was director of quality control for the Coffee Board of India, and founder of her own company, Coffee Labs, in Bangalore.

Niko Romito

Romito is a widely acclaimed Italian chef who runs the restaurant Reale in Castel di Sangro, the two Spazio bistros in Milan and Rome, and every Bulgari Hotel restaurant around the world. In just seven years, Romito earned a remarkable three Michelin stars, and is regarded as a true culinary visionary.

Adam Sachs

Sachs is the former Editor-in-Chief of SAVEUR. Before joining SAVEUR, he wrote about food and other subjects for publications including GQ, Bon Appétit, and Details. He is a three-time James Beard Journalism Award winner.

Ernesto Velasquez

Velasquez, an expert coffee taster, is a second-generation coffee producer hailing from San Antonio in Honduras. He is a strong advocate for maximizing profits for coffee growers worldwide to ensure they receive fair prices on the global market.