Soubin Phetsomphou has brewed his way to a sensational victory as the champion of the Lao AeroPress Championship 2024 (LAC24), held in Vientiane on 14 July. This triumph has earned him the honor of representing Laos at the World AeroPress Championship from 19-21 September in Lisbon, Portugal. There, a 44 year-old from Luang Prabang will compete against more than 5,000 of the world’s most skilled brewers from 60 countries.
The LAC is a national competition where coffee enthusiasts compete to represent Laos in the annual World AeroPress Championship. Since 2022, LAC has been the only official AeroPress competition in Laos that sends the winner to compete on the global stage.
This year, the LAC24 was held in Vientiane’s Lane Xane Muay Lao gym, featuring 17 participants. The event aimed to blend various communities – coffee, boxing, music, and creative minds – while strengthening connections within the barista community.
“I want to support Laos baristas to show that even though Laos is a small country, we can be on the international stage with other countries,” said David Viron, owner of Dam Dam cafe and host of the annual Lao AeroPress Championship.
David also discussed expanding opportunities for foreigners living in Laos to join the competition and encouraging more women to participate.
“This year’s competition has higher standards compared to the previous two years. Applications are currently only for Lao people, but in the future, it will be more open to other nationalities because I’ve seen many coffee lovers in Laos that aren’t Lao. I also support every gender to join too, especially women because coffee is for everyone.” he said.
This year’s winner, Soubin, shared his motivation for entering this competition.
“I love drinking coffee. One day, I tried special drip coffee and found it very interesting and more than just a coffee. Since then, I started to study about it,” he said. “Currently, I’ve ordered some coffee beans to practice brewing and create recipes for the upcoming world competition. My dream is to be the world champion. I will do my best and will bring victory to Laos.”
In both the national and international AeroPress competitions, contestants have five minutes per round to brew coffee using the same ingredients, such as water and coffee beans. After brewing, international judges conduct a blind test to choose the winner.
Interest in coffee brewing in Laos began to grow significantly in the early 1900s with the French protectorate, which introduced coffee plants to the region. They initially planted Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica varieties in the northern part of Laos. Despite setbacks during World Wars I and II, coffee cultivation gradually resumed and expanded over the years.
Today, most of Laos’ coffee is grown in Paksong district on the Bolaven Plateau, situated about 4,265 feet (1,300 meters) above sea level and receiving plenty of rainfall. Robusta is the most produced coffee in Laos compared to Arabica or Liberica. In 2022, Robusta accounted for 15,000 tons and Arabica a mere 5,000 tons.
