Text and photos: Juan David Latorre
The experiential and competitive event that will bring together coffee lovers, Coffee Master Spain, was presented yesterday at the Colombian Embassy as the premier specialty coffee route in Madrid and Zaragoza, to be held from April 14 to 29, as reported by The Diplomat last week.
This coffee diplomacy event was presented by the Colombian Ambassador, Eduardo Ávila Navarrete, and the coordinator of Coffee Master Spain, Alba Lucía Reyes, who stated that this event, which brings together specialty coffee shops, experts, and the general public around coffee culture, “was created with the objective of connecting culture, gastronomy, innovation, and origin, positioning Colombian coffee as the central focus of an experience that combines training, competition, tasting, and cultural diplomacy.”
For fifteen days, some of the best specialty coffee shops in Madrid and Zaragoza will participate in a route showcasing signature drinks made with 100% Colombian coffee, created especially for the event. The public will be an active part of the competition by voting for their favorite creations, alongside a panel of expert professionals. A total of 22 coffee shops will participate in Madrid and 4 in Zaragoza.
Coffee Master Spain has the institutional support of the Colombian government, through ProColombia and the Colombian Embassy, as part of its cultural and coffee diplomacy strategy. Around 500,000 families in Colombia depend on the coffee sector for their livelihood.
“It is a source of pride to present this initiative,” highlighted Ambassador Eduardo Ávila Navarrete, “because, as you well know, when we talk about Colombian specialty coffee, we are talking about much more than quality; we are talking about sustainability, biodiversity, and the future. For the Government of Colombia, it is essential to support initiatives like Coffee Master Spain, which contribute to promoting abroad one of the most important products for our economy and social development. Coffee, as a symbol of Colombian identity, is also a key tool of our cultural and coffee diplomacy, in which we work in close collaboration with ProColombia to strengthen ties between Colombia and Spain.”
“The farmers who are there planting and processing coffee also do very important work for the environment, because they cultivate using agroforestry systems that strengthen their relationship with the land and also protect the environment. They also protect water, conserve soil, and apply these practices to protect us from climate change. It is also very important to highlight the fundamental role of women in this process. Many of these women are Indigenous, Afro-Colombian, farmers, and single mothers who work diligently on small farms to produce the highest quality organic coffee and thus generate sustainable income for their families and their communities,” the Colombian ambassador noted.
For her part, Alba Lucía Reyes pointed out that “customers no longer just want to put caffeine in their bodies; they want an experience, they want to live it, they also want information about where that coffee comes from, its sustainability, and the families involved. 500,000 Colombian families in Colombia depend on coffee, and it no longer only serves as a domestic product that helps our economy, but coffee has become a source of tourism, an export, and a source of international recognition. How proud we Colombians feel when we are in Spain and see that all the specialty coffee shops proudly feature Colombian coffee.”
The event coordinator pointed out that “Coffee Master Spain is, above all, an experience. It’s an experiential tour where coffee lovers will not only be able to taste coffee, but also support those specialty coffee shops that have decided to start a business different from what has always been seen here in Spain. The objective, as we say, is very clear. It’s to transform the perception of Colombian coffee in Spain. And this is done not only through an institutional discourse, which is always valued, but also through the consumer experience.”
Regarding the voting method for the jury and the consumer, Alba Lucía Reyes stated that “the jury will vote, deliberating two days before the closing. And how does the public vote? Each coffee shop will have a QR code. The customer will scan the QR code with their receipt, and a conversation will immediately appear asking them what they thought of the signature drink, their experience in the shop, and their overall impression of the shop and the coffee shop.”
The event also has the institutional support of the Government of Aragon through the campaign Aragon, Real Taste, reinforcing its cultural and gastronomic and territorial dimension.
The Coffee Master Spain website lists all the activities taking place in the two host cities of the coffee event, beginning with the opening ceremony on April 14 at the Colombian Embassy. Chef Edwin Rodríguez, the only Colombian with a Michelin star in Europe, will offer an exclusive gastronomic tasting for attendees.
Later, on April 23, ProColombia, in conjunction with the Colombian Embassy, will organize a specialty coffee and cacao tasting. This event is aimed at key players in the export, investment, and tourism sectors, and will feature a sensory experience showcasing coffee and cacao from across Colombia’s regions.
Additionally, the Colombian Specialty Coffee Forum in Spain will take place, providing a space for dialogue about the future of coffee in Spain and addressing topics such as sustainability, specialty coffee, and its connection to origin. On April 27, a discussion and tasting of Colombian coffees will take place at Casa de América, a space for dialogue and reflection on coffee and cacao as cultural products and drivers of social transformation.
At the closing event, on April 29 at the Zaragoza Conference Center, chef Luciana Calle will present the Colombian Coffee Clock concept, which represents different regions of Colombia and their ways of pairing coffee and cacao. She will also participate in activities at specialty coffee shops.
At the end of the coffee event, there will be awards and recognition of coffee talent, distributed as follows:
– The best signature beverage selected by the jury of experts will receive a professional Sanremo D8 machine, valued at over €5,000, courtesy of the official sponsor, Sanremo Coffee Machines.
– The best signature beverage voted on by the public will be awarded a trip to Colombia to visit a coffee farm, thanks to the sponsorship of Avianca, the event’s official airline. The coffee lover who receives the most votes during the event will also win a trip to Colombia with a complete coffee farm experience.
The jury will be led by renowned experts in the sector, including Marisa Baqué, the Spanish Coffee Tasters Champion and a national leader in coffee tasting and roasting.
