At the German Coffee Championship of the Specialty Coffee Association in Bremen, our team struck gold twice: Felix Hohlmann is German Barista Champion for the second time. Michael Rieker wins the championship in Coffee in Good Spirits. Both have qualified for the World Championships.
Felix Hohlmann: Germany's best barista for the second time
It began in 2013 with a mishap. Felix, then 22 years old, stood on stage for the first time at the Swiss Brewers Cup. He chose such a fine grind for his AeroPress that the glass carafe shattered under the pressure. What seemed like a failure at the time was the starting shot of a remarkable career.
Over 13 years and more than 20 competitions later, Felix is German Barista Champion for the second time after 2024. At the Barista Championship, participants prepare four espressos, four milk-based coffee drinks, and four signature creations in 15 minutes. Drinks are judged on quality, presentation, hospitality, and technical skills. The discipline is considered the crown jewel among coffee championships.
Spontaneous livestream of Felix's barista presentation in the final.
The centerpiece of Felix's presentation was an extraordinary coffee: a Sinaloa Geisha Washed Anaerobic by Ana María Trujillo Rojas, a fourth-generation coffee producer from Huila, Colombia. On her farm, the Geisha variety grows at altitudes up to 2,100 meters and undergoes three-stage fermentation: 48 hours of oxidation, 48 hours of anaerobic fermentation, followed by 72 hours of hydrofermentation in a hermetically sealed water tank. The result is an espresso of extraordinary clarity, with floral notes, vibrant citrus fruitiness, and a long lemongrass finish.
For his signature creation, Felix served a signature drink made from espresso, homemade kombucha, verjus, and malic acid, with notes of elderflower, kiwi, and green apple.
«Preparing for a championship like this, alongside my responsibilities as managing director and head of our cafés, is quite a challenge,» Felix says after his victory. «At the same time, I certainly benefit from the experiences of previous years. Especially through qualifying for the Barista World Championship in Korea in 2024, I learned a lot.»
The championship was only possible thanks to the team in Basel: «We all benefit from the wealth of knowledge on the team, from cultivation to cup. That allows us deep insight into all coffee processes and is the foundation for such success.»
In fall 2026, Felix will travel to the World Barista Championship in Panama.
Michael Rieker: Overwhelmed by his own victory
While Felix is already familiar with the big stage, Michael Rieker experienced his personal breakthrough in Bremen. The 30-year-old barista trainer at the Kaffeemacher Academy competed in the Coffee in Good Spirits discipline, a championship where coffee and spirits merge into one. It was only his second appearance in this discipline.
Michael worked with two carefully selected coffees. For the first course, he created a Natural Anaerobic Heirloom by Tamiru Tadesse from Bensa, Ethiopia. This coffee was grown at 2,400 meters with ten days of fermentation and fruity notes of strawberry and red grapes, which Michael transformed into a cocktail in the style of an Espresso Martini with Barbados rum, koji extract, and a 1:1 sugar syrup.
For his Irish Coffee, he drew on the Maracaturra from the Kaffeemacher partner farm Finca Santa Rita in Depilto, Nicaragua, processed as Carbonic Maceration by Brid Azul. A sweet, cherry-spiced coffee that Michael paired with Teeling Single Pot Still Whiskey and lactose-free whipped cream.
What was special about his presentation was a brewing method rarely seen in the coffee world: Michael extracted his coffee with a magnetic stirrer at 98 °C. A technique from the bartending world that produces high aroma density with minimal bitterness and visibly surprised the judges.
Choosing the right spirits was helped by Timo Uebersax from the Herz Bar in Basel. A sign that behind this title there is also a Basel community.
«After the presentation, I was satisfied that the drinks came out as planned. I immediately noticed a few small mistakes. I didn't expect it would be enough for the title, but I'm simply overwhelmed,» says Michael.
At the end of June 2026, he will travel to the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in Brussels.
Media echo: Basel is Germany's coffee capital
The successes of Felix and Michael have received attention beyond the coffee scene. Three media reports have now appeared:
The Basel online magazine Bajour named Felix and Michael «Baslers of the Day». The Wirteverband Basel-Stadt headline read «Basel is Germany's coffee capital». And the BZ Basel reported under the title «Basel baristas win gold at the German coffee championship».
If you're curious: Felix Hohlmann and Michael Rieker regularly stand behind the espresso machine themselves in the Kaffeemacher Café at Basel SBB train station.
More information:
- Photos from Bremen by Andreas Behr. Many thanks for the great pictures.
- To SCA Germany.
