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Hiroki Ito

World Barista Championship 2025 · Milan, Italy · Japan

Hiroki Ito's performance at the WBC 2025 focused on the Japanese concept of 'omotenashi', emphasizing intimacy, storytelling, and patience in coffee service. He used a single Geisha coffee from Panama's Hacienda La Esmeralda for all courses, highlighting its floral, sweet, and balanced profile. Notable for its cultural storytelling and innovative signature drink, the presentation celebrated 25 years of barista competition history.

Theme

Omotenashi: Intimacy, storytelling, and patience in coffee service.

Highlights

  • · Introduced the concept of 'omotenashi' to create an intimate and patient coffee experience.
  • · Served a signature beverage featuring yuzu syrup infused with osmanthus, tomato water, and egg white, heated to 45 degrees for a unique flavor profile.
  • · Used a classic-style washed process Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda for all courses, emphasizing florals, sweetness, and balance.
  • · Roasting technique involved lowering energy during the yellowing phase to preserve linalool, enhancing floral aroma.
  • · Celebrated 25 years of barista competition history, connecting personal journey with the legacy of the competition.
  • · Served all drinks on an elevated platform to symbolize pushing coffee to new heights while fostering closeness.
  • · Used milk with 4% fat from Hokkaido to enhance the floral notes in the milk beverage.

Performance Breakdown

Espresso Course

Geisha

FarmHacienda La EsmeraldaProducerHacienda La EsmeraldaLocationPanamaAltitude2,000mProcessClassic-style washed process
Roast
More development for sweetness and balance
Preparation
Allow to cool, smell five times to enhance jasmine floral

Flavor Descriptors

jasmineorange blossomorangehoney

Tactile / Mouthfeel

low weightround texturelong-lasting Earl Grey tea aftertastetea-like texture

Evaluate crema first, allow to cool before tasting

Milk Beverage Course

Geisha

FarmHacienda La EsmeraldaProducerHacienda La EsmeraldaLocationPanamaAltitude2,000mProcessClassic-style washed process
Milk
4% fat cow's milk from Hokkaido
Milk Prep
Classic style with sweet cow's milk

Flavor Descriptors

honeysucklepeachcrème brûlée

Tactile / Mouthfeel

smooth texturehoney finish

Served with a smile, evaluate visual first

Signature Beverage Course

Geisha

FarmHacienda La EsmeraldaProducerHacienda La EsmeraldaLocationPanamaAltitude2,000mProcessClassic-style washed process
Served
Warm
Concept
Inspired by the barista's craft and cultural elements from Japan and the farm

Ingredients & Layers

Yuzu syrup

Fresh yuzu juice and fructose in a one-to-one ratio, infused with 1% osmanthus flowers for two days

Amount: 30g→ Transforms citrus notes into white peach and mandarin orange

Tomato water

Blended tomatoes, filtered to create clear water

Amount: 40g→ Creates a white wine flavor with sweet honey notes

Egg white

Added to beverage and steamed

Amount: 4g→ Elevates smooth texture and balance

Flavor Descriptors

jasminechamomilewhite peachmandarin orange

Swirl five times to enhance jasmine flavor

omotenashiGeishaHacienda La EsmeraldaPanamayuzu syruptomato wateregg whitefloralsweetnessbalance25 years of WBCJapanese culture

Full Transcript

Time. I love my job as a barista. It is such an interesting job for me. It's in an everyday café just like this where I learned how to make coffee. A distance between the guest and I, every action intentional, and the service built for maximum speed and efficiency. My passion started here. Learning about workflow, making espresso to precise recipes, pulling lattes for each client, quick service, consistent coffee, and served with a smile.

Transcripts are generated using dual-source audio processing and verified through our internal coffee terminology system. Performance data, brew parameters, and competitor details are cross-referenced against publicly available competition records. While we do our best to ensure accuracy, this is a community-driven archive and errors may exist. If something looks off, we'd genuinely appreciate the correction.

Performance data and transcripts are sourced from publicly available competition broadcasts and may contain inaccuracies. Spot an error? Reach out via Instagram or email.