Global Coffee Awards

https://www.globalcoffeeawards.com

The Global Coffee Awards (GCA) is an independent world roasting championship organized by Perfect Daily Grind and Coffee Intelligence. Founded in 2025, the GCA evaluates roasters across multiple commercial brewing categories, rewarding the overall quality and range of a roastery, not a single competition performance on standardized green lots.

The GCA is a separate competition from the SCA’s World Coffee Roasting Championship. Both crown a “world’s best roaster” each year; they are run by different organizations with different formats and judging criteria. EspressoDrop covers both.

The Competition

Regional qualifying editions run throughout the year across North America, Europe, Asia, MENA, Africa, and Latin America. Regional Gold, Silver, and Bronze category winners advance to the annual World Championship, held at the Producer & Roaster Forum (PRF). In 2026, more than 2,000 samples from roasters in 125+ countries were submitted across all GCA editions worldwide.

Judging is blind. Entries are evaluated by a panel of qualified judges against sensory and technical criteria. The GCA rewards the roastery as a brand. Companies of any size, from small-batch independents to national roasters, compete on equal footing.

EspressoDrop tracks only the Filter and Espresso categories from each regional edition — the two categories that give the closest thing to a standardized, head-to-head brew comparison across roasters. The GCA’s other categories (Flat White Dairy, Flat White Plant-Based Milk, and a fifth category that varies by region — Ready to Drink in the US & Canada, Specialty Drip Bag in Asia and MENA), along with each edition’s overall roastery title, aren’t covered here.

Past Winners

2026 Global Champions

2026 Huracán Coffee, Vilnius, Lithuania (Gold)

2026 KAFEA TERRA, Peania, Greece (Silver; B2B distributor, no consumer shop found)

2026 Café Cultor, Bogotá, Colombia (Bronze)

2026 Regional Editions — Filter and Espresso Winners

Filter and Espresso are each split into subcategories (Gesha, Washed, Natural, Honey, Single Origin, Blend, Decaf, and others; the exact set varies a bit by region and by what was actually awarded, not always what GCA’s own general categories page lists). Every subcategory awards its own gold, and ties are explicit in the rules: entries with identical scores both place first. Some regions also name a separate outright “Filter Category Winner” or “Espresso Category Winner,” and an overall edition winner across every category; these are real, additional titles, not evidence that one subcategory gold matters more than another. Every winner below is listed on equal footing.

US & Canada

Judged in Houston, Texas, August 10 and 11. Sweet Bloom Coffee is also named the edition’s overall winner, Cafe Kreyol the outright Filter category winner, and Lucky’s Coffee Roasters the outright Espresso category winner.

Filter Gesha: Sweet Bloom Coffee, Denver, CO

Filter Single Origin (3 way tie): Mt Zulu Coffee, Levittown, PA, Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, Sandpoint, ID, and Shavi Coffee Roasters, Washington, DC

Filter Single Origin Experimental (2 way tie): Theory Coffee Roasters, Redding, CA and Soul Cafe Coffee Roasters, Brooklyn, NY (a third entry in this subcategory, a Sidra from Lucky’s Coffee Roasters, was the edition’s second highest scoring coffee overall but doesn’t appear on the published gold list; likely a silver medal, not confirmed)

Filter Washed (3 way tie): Camonn Coffee, San Francisco, CA, Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Harrisburg, PA, and Lima Coffee Roasters, Fort Collins, CO

Filter Co-Fermented (2 way tie; not on GCA’s general categories list, but awarded this edition): Bean et Bonheur Torréfacteur, Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC (ships within Canada only) and Neighbors Coffee Roasters, Rockville, MD

Filter Natural (3 way tie): Sweet Bloom Coffee (above), Merit Coffee, San Antonio, TX, and Cafe Kreyol, Manassas, VA

Filter Honey: Mt Zulu Coffee (above)

Filter Experimental Blend: Upshot Coffee, St. Louis, MO

Filter Barrel Aged: LongStory Coffee, Belleville, IL

Filter Blend (2 way tie): Smelly Cat Coffeehouse & Roastery, Charlotte, NC and Talavera Coffee, Magnolia, TX

Filter Decaf (2 way tie): Soul Cafe Coffee Roasters (above) and Moxie Coffee Co., Phoenix, AZ

Filter Classic Roast Profile: What’s Brewing?, San Antonio, TX

Espresso Single Origin: Paix Coffee, Richmond, VA

Espresso Single Origin Experimental: Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, Calgary, Canada

Espresso Experimental Blend: Mystic Monk Coffee, Meeteetse, WY (Cloister Reserve Blend)

Espresso Co-Fermented: Lucky’s Coffee Roasters, Upland, CA

Espresso Blend (2 way tie): Philly Fair Trade Roasters, Reinholds, PA (Reel to Reel) and Regalia Coffee, New York, NY (Rainbow Hopper)

Espresso Classic Roast Profile: What’s Brewing?, San Antonio, TX (Finca San Antonio Blend)

Espresso Decaf (2 way tie): Cafe Kreyol, Manassas, VA (Red & Yellow Caturra) and Talitha Coffee Roasters, San Diego, CA (Sunset Serenade)

No Filter Robusta winner was reported for this edition.

Asia

Filter carries 14 subcategories in this edition, including three (Geisha, Barrel Aged, Liberica) that GCA’s general categories page marks Asia and MENA exclusive. All Day Roasting Company is also named the edition’s overall winner (“Asia’s Best Roaster”) and the outright Filter category winner; oma Coffee Roaster is the outright Espresso category winner.

Filter Gesha: oma Coffee Roaster, Tai Hang, Hong Kong (ships within Hong Kong; international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Single Origin: Hidden Coffee, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong (international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Single Origin Experimental (2 way tie): The Coffee Circus, Chikmagalur, India (this was also the edition’s highest scoring coffee overall; US shipping not confirmed) and Nyawang Langit Roastery, Jawa Barat, Indonesia (sells only through domestic Indonesian marketplaces; Instagram)

Filter Washed: Mobydick Coffee Roasters, Shanghai, China (international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Co-Fermented: Kakalove Café, Chiayi City, Taiwan (confirmed DHL/FedEx shipping to the US; not on GCA’s general categories list but awarded this edition)

Filter Natural: All Day Roasting Company, Taipei, Taiwan (ships within Taiwan only)

Filter Honey: Phisate Coffee Roaster, Phetchaburi, Thailand (international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Experimental Blend: Bean Barn, Taipei, Taiwan (site claims worldwide shipping but only documents free Hong Kong/Macau delivery; US unconfirmed)

Filter Liberica: Every Half Coffee Roasters, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Vietnamese dong pricing only, international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Robusta: Curve Coffee Collaborators, Manila, Philippines (ships within the Philippines only)

Filter Barrel Aged: Beanrove Coffee, Bengaluru, India (no consumer online shop found, only a B2B trade listing; Instagram)

Filter Blend: Artigiano Jikabi Coffee Roasters, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan (site offers a USD price display but US shipping isn’t confirmed)

Filter Classic Roast Profile: Roastery Coffee House, Hyderabad, India (ships within India only)

Filter Decaf: Massimo Coffee, Almaty, Kazakhstan (ships within Kazakhstan only)

Espresso Blend (3 way tie): Beanrove Coffee (above), Doi Tung, Chiang Rai, Thailand (international shipping not confirmed), and Hidden Coffee (above)

Espresso Classic Roast Profile: oma Coffee Roaster, Tai Hang, Hong Kong (Catuai Washed; ships within Hong Kong, international shipping not confirmed)

Espresso Experimental Blend: Addicto Coffee, Bangkok, Thailand (Soft Pop; sold through a third party retailer, thedriplibrary.co; international shipping not confirmed)

Espresso Single Origin (2 way tie): All Day Roasting Company (above) and D23 Coffee Roasters, Taipei, Taiwan (no online shop found; Instagram)

Espresso Single Origin Experimental: Imunika Korea, Seoul, South Korea (Imunika Red; confirmed international shipping, over 100 countries including the US)

No Espresso Decaf winner was reported for this edition.

MENA

Woods Specialty Roastery is also named the edition’s overall winner and the outright Filter category winner; Brew 92 is the outright Espresso category winner. Some coffee names below carry a source conflict between GCA’s own PDF and Perfect Daily Grind’s article; where that happens we’ve noted both rather than picking one.

Filter Single Origin: Woods Specialty Roastery, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia (shop unverifiable by automated check; reported live by third parties)

Filter Geisha (2 golds, same roaster): Cypher Urban Roastery, Dubai, UAE (confirmed worldwide shipping, including to the US)

Filter Decaf: Woods Specialty Roastery (above)

Filter Co-Fermented: Oasis Coffee Trading Company, Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia (probable shop match, not fully confirmed branding; no US shipping mentioned; not on GCA’s general categories list but awarded this edition)

Filter Single Origin Experimental (2 way tie): Brew 92, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (online shop unconfirmed for international orders) and Archers Coffee, Sharjah, UAE (ships within the UAE only)

Filter Barrel Aged: Ritual Coffee Company, Cairo, Egypt (a different business from the San Francisco roaster of the same name; ships via Aramex, country list not confirmed. Coffee name conflict: GCA’s PDF says “Barel Edged,” Perfect Daily Grind says “Narino”; unresolved, reported as is)

Filter Washed: Archers Coffee (above)

Filter Experimental Blend: Woods Specialty Roastery (above)

Filter Blend: Oasis Coffee Trading Company (above)

Filter Classic Roast Profile: 48 East Roasters, Shuwaikh, Kuwait (international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Honey: Kohi Coffee Roasters, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (no dedicated online shop found; orders reportedly taken via Instagram and delivery apps)

Filter Natural: Kohi Coffee Roasters (above)

Espresso Blend: CMI Roastery, Abu Dhabi, UAE (international shipping not confirmed)

Espresso Classic Roast Profile: The Coffee Factory, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (no working shop found; listed on a third party marketplace with an empty product page)

Espresso Experimental Blend: Woods Specialty Roastery (above)

Espresso Single Origin Experimental: Brew 92 (above)

Espresso Decaf: Woods Specialty Roastery (above)

Espresso Single Origin: Brew 92 (above)

No Filter Robusta or Filter Liberica winner was reported for this edition, though both are defined MENA subcategories.

Africa

Judged in Charleston, June 16, 2026. Galani Coffee Shop swept every Filter and Espresso subcategory awarded this edition, and is also named “Africa’s Best Roaster” and the outright Filter and Espresso category winner. No online consumer shop was found for Galani; galanicoffee.com lists cafe locations and a delivery app link only.

Filter Natural: Galani Coffee Shop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Sundried Guji)

Filter Single Origin: Galani Coffee Shop (Sundried Yirgacheffe Gerse)

Filter Single Origin Experimental: Galani Coffee Shop (Sundried Sidamo Anaerobic Fermentation)

Filter Washed: Galani Coffee Shop (Washed Limu)

Espresso Blend: Galani Coffee Shop (Solar Veil)

Espresso Single Origin Experimental: Galani Coffee Shop (Sundried Sheka)

Espresso Single Origin: Galani Coffee Shop (GCA’s own official results PDF names two different coffees for this same medal on two different pages, “Solar Veil” and “Washed Limu”; an apparent internal error we can’t resolve from the source, so we’re naming the roaster without committing to one coffee name)

No Gesha, Honey, Experimental Blend, Robusta, Blend, Classic Roast Profile, or Decaf winner was reported for Filter; no Classic Roast Profile, Decaf, or Experimental Blend winner was reported for Espresso. We can’t tell from the available results whether that reflects no entries, no qualifying scores, or a reporting gap.

Known Silver and Bronze medalists (Gold is the only tier published for other regions above; Africa’s official results happened to include lower tiers too): Espresso category, Silver Spring Valley Coffee (Nairobi, Kenya), Bronze Rubia Coffee Roasters (Kigali, Rwanda); Filter category, Silver Rubia Coffee Roasters, Bronze Spring Valley Coffee. Question Coffee, Kigali, Rwanda (Bronze, Espresso Blend, and Honorable Mention, Filter Washed) ships to the US, though not the specific winning lots. Rubia Coffee Roasters and Spring Valley Coffee don’t have a usable shop for US buyers: Rubia’s site is under maintenance with cafe only service, and Spring Valley’s UK and Kenya stores each ship domestically only.

Latin America

Judged in Houston, Texas, August 12. Filter has eleven subcategories in this edition and Espresso has five or six, each awarding its own gold, so the roasters below are independent subcategory winners, not ranked against each other.

Filter Gesha, Natural, and Honey; Espresso Blend: Macizo Café, Bogotá, Colombia (also named the region’s outright Filter category winner and highest scoring entry of the whole edition; ships within Colombia, international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Single Origin and Single Origin Experimental: Mugen Coffee Project, La Paz, Bolivia (no online shop found)

Filter Single Origin Experimental and Robusta; Espresso Single Origin Experimental and Experimental Blend: Academia Barista Pro, San Salvador, El Salvador (ships within El Salvador only)

Filter Washed: Café Cultor, Bogotá, Colombia (also likely an Espresso Single Origin silver, based on placement rather than a published medal list; international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Washed: Colo Coffee, Bogotá, Colombia (ships to the US)

Filter Experimental Blend: Gento Coffee Roasters, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Espresso Classic Roast Profile: Gento Coffee Roasters, Guatemala City, Guatemala (Finca de Dios)

Filter Classic Roast Profile: Café Baluarte de Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico (also the region’s overall competition winner, on the strength of Flat White wins not tracked here; no online shop found)

Filter Blend; Espresso Single Origin: DeLa Finca Specialty Coffee, Managua, Nicaragua (also named the region’s outright Espresso category winner; international shipping not confirmed)

Filter Decaf: Pergamino Café, Medellín, Colombia (ships to the US and Canada)

Filter Single Origin Experimental (Silver): Spirit Origin, Roatán, Honduras

No Espresso Decaf winner was reported for this edition, and only Gold medals are published in the results coverage available to us; Silver and Bronze winners in the other subcategories above almost certainly exist but aren’t listed here beyond the one we found independently confirmed.