Champion's Choice: Mariam Erin Pinza, UAE Brewers Cup Champion in 2024

We’re thrilled to feature a story of dedication, experimentation, and a love for precision brewing. Mariam's journey showcases how APAX LAB mineral concentrates helped take her coffee to new heights at a major coffee competition. Read on to find out about her insights and winning recipe.

How did you first hear about us, and why did you decide to use APAX LAB to make your water for the competition?

I first tried APAX LAB water in November 2023, thanks to my friend Lorena, who traveled to Dubai bringing some goodies from the amazing human Simon. :)

Our team conducted a blind comparison of water mineral blends from various brands, and APAX LAB stood out as our top choice for my competition coffee. From there, we started crafting a water recipe specifically for the coffee I would compete with.

In what ways did the mineral concentrates help you win the competition?

The APAX LAB mineral concentrates enhanced the clarity of flavours, giving the coffee a smooth mouthfeel and a more pronounced coating sweetness, which really stood out during the competition. These are my favourite attributes, to be honest, and APAX LAB helped highlight them beautifully.

What is your favourite APAX LAB profile, and why? 

Due to limited time—we received the APAX concentrates just three days before the competition—we jumped straight into using a recipe recommended by Simon and made slight adjustments from there. This approach worked well, given the time constraints. So, I don't have a strict favourite yet!

What was your winning water recipe with APAX LAB? And what coffee did you use it with?

I used Zero Water combined with:

• 0.5g TONIK
• 1.7g JAMM
• 2g LYLAC

This water recipe paired beautifully with the coffees I selected for the competition:

1. Finca La Negrita Red Honey Colombian Gesha
   (Notes of red berries and grape-like fruit flavours)

2. Santa Maria Panama Gesha
   (Notes of stone fruits and brown sugary sweetness)

Combining these exceptional coffees with the chosen water recipe brought out a clear perception of flavour and drastically elevated the coating sugarcane sweetness. It was the perfect match.

Finally, what advice would you give to someone just getting started with making their own water?

Take the time to understand what you want to highlight in your coffee and the flavour characteristics you're aiming for. This understanding will guide you in crafting your water recipe. Always rely on comparisons and tasting to go beyond what the numbers can tell you—tasting is key!