Carlos Escobar’s 2025 World Brewers Cup Presentation: A Brewed Call to Action
- Julian M. Guzman
- May 15
- 4 min read
Setting the Stage: What is the World Brewers Cup?
The 2025 World Brewers Cup, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, brought together the best brewers and coffee professionals from around the globe. As part of the World Coffee Championships, the event highlights the craft of manual brewing and the stories behind each cup—merging innovation, cultural exchange, and sensory excellence on an international stage.
Meet Carlos Escobar
Carlos Escobar is a passionate coffee professional and the son of a former coffee farmer. His roots run deep in Colombia’s coffee-growing culture, but like many in his generation, he once left the farm in search of a more secure future. In 2025, he returned to the global coffee stage with purpose and perspective, using his platform at the World Brewers Cup to spark a critical conversation about sustainability—not just of the product, but of the people who produce it. His presentation was not only technically exceptional but emotionally powerful, urging the industry to rethink how it values farmers and their role in coffee's future.
“What happens when we finally get the prices we wanted… but we run out of coffee?”This haunting question opened Carlos Escobar’s 2025 World Brewers Cup presentation—an emotional and electrifying performance that became an instant classic. Not just for its brewing excellence, but for its urgent message to the global coffee community.
Brewing Beyond the Cup
Carlos Escobar is more than a competitor. He is the son of a former coffee farmer—a title that, as he points out, should not exist. His message was clear: we are celebrating rising coffee prices, yet ignoring the deeper crisis. All over the world, the next generation is leaving the farms. Escobar, once among them, walked away from the life his family cultivated for generations—not because he lacked love for coffee, but because he saw no viable future in it.
Yet in 2025, he returned—this time, not with regret, but with clarity and a global solution. His performance was a tribute to both the problem and its promise: a way forward where farming can again be a source of pride, stability, and legacy.
“That word former should not exist in coffee… but it does.”
Escobar reminded the audience that while we’re investing in fermentation tanks, design, and barista competitions, we’re still losing the very foundation of the industry: the farmer. And not just any farmer—but young farmers, the ones who should be leading us into the future.
The Real Crisis: The Disappearing Farmer
At the heart of Escobar’s presentation was a truth often ignored: we may be running out of farmers before we run out of coffee. He didn’t just say it—he lived it. His return to the industry is a symbol of what’s possible when there is belief, structure, and hope for the next generation.
The Solution: A New Blueprint for Youth in Coffee
Carlos outlined three powerful pillars for re-engaging young people with coffee farming—not just as labor, but as a meaningful, creative, and global profession:
Excitement – “Giving them the freedom and tools to experiment, just like Joan does in Peña Blancas.” This means enabling innovation at the farm level—micro-lots, fermentation techniques, flavor-driven agriculture—so young farmers see the value of experimentation.
Knowledge Sharing – “Getting them in touch with global information… just like the ability to share profiles across the globe with new roasting software.” By democratizing information, farmers are no longer isolated. They’re plugged into a global network, empowered by data and feedback loops that previously didn’t exist.
Innovation – “Letting them know about new discoveries that are moving the industry forward, just like the wave technology and the way we use it to enhance our coffee experience today.” Technology isn’t just for the barista—it belongs on the farm, too. Carlos sees a future where innovation flows from seed to cup.
A Call for Unity in Uncertain Times
“In times of global division and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to unite as an industry and motivate the next generation in coffee. Muchas gracias.”
With these closing words, Carlos brought home what was possibly the most important message of the 2025 World Brewers Cup: we are in this together. Coffee connects people across borders, classes, and languages. And it’s our responsibility—as professionals and as drinkers—to make sure it continues to do so.
A New Role for Brewers
Carlos’s presentation redefined what it means to be a brewer. In 2025, brewing excellence isn’t just about extraction curves or bloom time—it’s about storytelling, advocacy, and using the stage to amplify the voices of those who never get the mic.
He didn’t just brew a cup of coffee. He brewed hope, memory, and urgency.
Why It Mattered
In an age of polished presentations and scripted narratives, Carlos Escobar brought something rare to the World Brewers Cup stage: truth. His performance reminded the world that the specialty coffee movement must move beyond the bar—toward the root of every bean and the lives that grow it.
Whether you’re a barista, roaster, producer, or casual drinker, Escobar’s message calls for reflection: What are we doing today to ensure coffee exists tomorrow?
📌 Follow Carlos Escobar on Instagram @carlos.esco.bar for more of his journey, advocacy, and beautiful brews.
☕ If you care about the future of coffee, this is a story you need to follow—and share.
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