Champion's Choice: Kay Cheon, 2025 Barista Champion in the USA
Today, we're honoured to highlight Kay Cheon, winner of the 2025 US Barista Championship. Known for his thoughtful and experimental approach, Kay utilized APAX LAB mineral concentrates to fine-tune his signature beverage and showcase coffee at its best.
We had the privilege of chatting with Kay about his championship journey and his innovative use of APAX LAB minerals.
Tell us more about the Barista Championship—what makes this competition so unique and exciting for you?
Competition has always been so exciting to me because of the platform it provides our industry to push the boundaries and share new ideas. When I began competing myself, I realized how much I was able to learn and grow through the process of competing, and by surrounding myself with a community of people who are doing the same thing.
Which courses in your routine had tailored water, and how did you adjust the mineral profile for each one?
I used JAMM in my signature beverage course to modulate one of my signature beverage ingredients (hibiscus). Using JAMM to fine-tune the profile of the ingredients really let me trust the composition of the signature beverage, and allowed me to focus more on having the coffee taste as good as it possibly could!
How did you first hear about APAX LAB, and what made you choose our products to craft your competition water?
I was working with a Brewers Cup competitor in the US this year, and we found that the different formulas allowed us to bring out different expressions of the same coffee. I wanted to explore this idea in my signature beverage, especially when each ingredient can taste different or bring something different to the beverage day-to-day.
In what ways did the mineral concentrates help enhance the clarity, balance, and expression of your coffees?
The coffee I served in my signature beverage had lots of complex acidity, but that meant it was a balancing act to work with different ingredients and create something harmonious. Using JAMM helped me find a really nice balance between the espresso and signature beverage ingredients!
Which APAX LAB profile is your favourite for espresso, milk drinks, and your signature beverage—TONIK, JAMM, or LYLAC? And why?
One of my colleagues and I joke that when in doubt, I always go LYLAC, especially for filter brews. I think it depends on the coffees you’re brewing and the profiles you enjoy in the cup!
What coffees did you choose for your routine, and how did you tailor your water recipe to bring out their best qualities?
I served two coffees in my presentation: one from El Diviso in Colombia, and one from Finca Deborah in Panama. Using El Diviso for my signature drink, I found I could use JAMM with the ingredients to dial in the beverage, even as we made small changes to the coffee recipe between rounds.
What was your winning water recipe with APAX LAB, and how did it influence each stage of your competition routine?
Knowing that I could use APAX LAB with my ingredients gave me a lot of confidence in how I approached dialling in my espresso for my signature beverage. Instead of dialling the espresso to the ingredients, the formulas allowed me to dial the ingredients to the coffee much better!
Current competition regulations limit water customisation in certain ways—what are your thoughts on these rules, and do you think they should change to allow more flexibility?
I think any competition needs structure and rulesets to be successful, but that’s also what gives competitors the ability to find and push the boundaries. Coffee competition is always evolving, and I wouldn’t be surprised if water formulation opens up to competitors one day!
For baristas looking to optimise their water for competition or daily service, what advice would you give them?
Try different things! Learn as much as you can, then build from there and find what you’re enjoying in the cup. I think we’ve just scratched the surface of how to brew differently with water in mind, and APAX LAB is such a great tool to open up those possibilities!