March 01, 2026
Matin Shaikh just won the Indian Brewers Championship 2026 with a routine that invited the judges and audience to rethink their relationship to brewing coffee as a way to focus.
In a rapidly changing world shaped by constant technological stimulation, Matin posed a simple question: have we lost the art of concentration?
An avid home brewer, he realised he had forgotten the skill of deep focus. Through his competition routine, he sought to reclaim those precious morning moments and time when hand brewing coffee was a way to reconnect with presence. A routine that asked the audience not just to taste coffee but to really engage with it in order to appreciate every step, from origin to cup.
For his competition, he selected a blend of coffees from Ratnagiri Estate in India. A coffee farm that sits in Southern India Western Ghats and is the region where coffee in India first originated. This coffee farm is known for having one of the most advanced processing facilities in India, producing coffees with clarity and depth.
He chose a blend of a natural process Catuai and a Catuai x SL9 hydro honey process. The hydro honey method blends elements of the washed, natural, and honey processes to produce a coffee with flavour complexity. Pairing this processing with the coffee varietal, complemented the final cup producing clean malic acidity and well rounded sweetness.
“It is one of my favourite farms in the country,” Matin shared
Having competed for the past five years, Matin has steadily refined both his brewing philosophy and technique. His championship routine highlighted not only varietal expression but also the impact of processing, delivering a cup defined by notes of raspberry, melon, and plum.
To elevate the experience, he chose to serve the coffee in the Ni Wares Bouba dual lipped cup. Its dual-lipped design allows for different expressions depending on how the coffee meets the palate. He guided the judges to use the thin lip while the coffee was hot to emphasise a juicy, vibrant red apple acidity, and the thicker lip as the coffee cooled to highlight a more velvety texture and berry-like sweetness.
He shared that he loves how the cup highlights contrasting intensities of the coffee from the different sides.
This marks the first time India will be represented on the world stage at Brewers Cup. Congratulations to Matin on an outstanding performance and thank you for showcasing Ni Wares on stage. We wish him the very best in his preparations and look forward to seeing his story continue internationally.
Discover the Bouba dual-lipped cup used on the Indian Brewers Cup 2026 stage.
Shop the Bouba Collection here
