Champion's Choice: Sara Solanas, 2024 Spain Aeropress Champion
Congratulations to Sara Solanas, who recently took first place in the Aeropress championship in Spain, hence qualifying for the World Aeropress championship in 2025. She used APAX LAB to prepare her water, and shares with us how the mineral concentrates have helped her win!
Why did you choose APAX LAB to prepare your water for the competition?
Several factors aligned perfectly for us. My teammate had been eager to try out APAX LAB, and just around that time, a friend from Australia was visiting us and could bring the concentrates along.
Since then, we've been experimenting with different coffees and recipes using APAX LAB, and the results have consistently impressed us.
How did the mineral concentrates help you win the competition?
APAX LAB played a crucial role in refining our brew. The mineral concentrates helped to enhance the body of the coffee while emphasizing its acidity without making it overwhelming.
The end result was a beautifully balanced cup—sweet, with bright acidity and a smooth, silky body that made all the difference.
What’s your favourite APAX LAB profile?
Definitely TONIK takes the top spot for me, followed closely by LYLAC.
I’m particularly drawn to coffees that have a bright profile with a honey-like body, and these profiles helped me achieve just that.
What was your winning water recipe with APAX LAB?
For my winning recipe, I used pre-mineralised water, then added 0.5g of TONIK and 0.5g of LYLAC to a 500ml bottle of Bronchales water. It proved to be the perfect combination for our competition brew!
And which coffee did you use it with?
I paired the water with a Colombian Pink Bourbon from Luis Aníbal Calderón Villa Betulia. It was a washed coffee with a light fermentation, expertly roasted by Slowmov.
Anything else you’d like to add?
After making over 180 brews, I was almost out of drops (laughs). Now, I’m gearing up for the SCA Spain project, which is making a comeback after five years. It’s an exciting time ahead!