LITHUANIA 9th April 2011

This year's Kavos Kuituros Dienos--Coffee Culture Days, including the Lithuanian coffee championships--were very successful, leaving only good memories and emotions, reports National Coordinator Darius Vezelis.

In all, 22 baristas competed for the Lithuanian Barista Championship, and five for the Latte Art championship, and the whole two-day event at the beginning of April attracted a great deal of attention from both the public and the media.

The 2011 Lithuanian Barista Champion is Domas Ivonis, with 520.5 points, with Mindaugus Ryskus taking second place by achieving 510.5 points  and Ieva Malijauskaite in third place with 505 points. Remarkably, all three of the winners were from the same coffee chain, Vero Cafe.

In Latte Art, Seivijus Matiejunas was the winner, followed by Mindaugus Ryskus in second, and Domas Ivonis coming third.

The judging panel was distinguished, led by chief judges Marc-Pierre Dietrich of the UK and Marek Robacha from Poland. The tasting judges were Andris Petkevics (Latvia), Christian Bothe (Germany), Georg Lauridsen (Denmark), Vytautas Kratulis (Lithuania), Anatolij Gustinovich (Latvia), Darius Kuodis (Lithuania), Charles Fleer (USA) and Andrius Valiauga (Ireland/Lithuania). Our technical judges were Ingemars Dzenis (Latvia), Domas Balandis (Lithuania), Jamie Banwell (UK) and Marcin Moczydlowski (Poland).

You can see a gallery of pictures from the event at the website www.kavosdienos.lt.

Pictured are the excited Lithuanian Barista Championship winners: (l-r) Champion Doma Ivonis, Ieva Malijauskaite and Mindaugus Ryskus