Some moments divide a life into a before and an after.
For Emiliano Hellmund, one of those moments came with his first cup of specialty coffee. Years later, that memory became the starting point for the routine that would earn him the title of 2026 Costa Rica Brewers Cup Champion.
His presentation explored the decisions and people that quietly change a story, from a producer willing to experiment to months of testing and refinement behind the scenes.
At the centre was an Obata Amarillo fermented with Natural Geisha mosto, paired with a water profile designed to support its sweetness, texture and clarity.
We spoke with Emiliano about the philosophy behind his winning routine, the coffee and water that shaped it, and the moment that ultimately changed his life.
1. Tell us more about Brewers Cup. What makes this competition so special to you, and why did you decide to compete this year?
Brewers Cup is special to me because it is not only about brewing the best cup of coffee. It is also about connecting with people through a story and a cup.
For me, competing this year was an opportunity to show that behind every coffee there are decisions, risks, and people whose single moment can change the course of a life.
This championship became one of those moments for me.
2. Your routine was built around a very personal concept. Can you tell us about the idea behind it and how you brought it to life during your presentation?
I believe we all have a life-changing moment — a moment when a decision, a person, or an opportunity sends everything in a different direction. My Brewers Cup routine was built around that idea.
I wanted to highlight that coffee itself exists thanks to a chain of moments: the moment someone decided to plant it, process it differently, believe in an idea, or support a dream.
The coffee I presented reminded me of the very first cup of specialty coffee I ever had, which was one of those moments that completely changed my life.
Because it brought me back to that memory, I wanted to create a new one with the judges. So during the routine, I asked them to take a selfie with me.
It wasn't just a photo. It became part of the story.
At the end of the presentation, I showed them the selfies and said:
“Our lives are not built by the passing of time, but by moments. And today, you became a moment that changed my life.”
Looking back, those words became true. In both the preliminary round and the final, the judges in the photos became part of a moment that changed my life forever.
That is why the selfies mean so much to me. They captured the essence of my presentation and the genuine connection I was able to build with the judges.
3. Water quality is crucial for brewing coffee. What role did water play in your competition strategy?
Within my concept, water also represents a moment.
It is the point where a coffee can either express its full potential or lose part of its identity.
For months, I tested different water profiles because I realised water was not just another ingredient — it was a tool to tell my coffee's story.
Every small adjustment changed the perception of sweetness, clarity, and texture until I found the balance I was looking for.
4. How did you first hear about APAX LAB, and what made you choose the mineral concentrates to build your competition water?
I first learned about APAX LAB through Remy Molina.
That conversation sparked my curiosity to better understand water chemistry and its impact on competition coffee.
What convinced me the most was the freedom the mineral concentrates provide to build a water profile from scratch.
I didn't want to adapt my coffee to the water — I wanted to build water that respected the identity of my coffee.
5. How did APAX LAB mineral concentrates help you shape the cup you wanted to present? Which are your favourite APAX LAB profiles, and why?
What I value most about APAX is that it allowed me to make intentional decisions.
After countless tests, I found a combination that highlighted exactly what I wanted to present: deep sweetness, an elegant texture, and clarity that allowed every flavour descriptor to appear naturally.
My favourite profile combines KONFLUX, JAMM, and LYLAC because together they gave me the balance I needed to express the coffee without exaggerating any of its characteristics.
6. Which coffee did you choose for your competition routine, and why was it the perfect fit for your strategy?
I chose an Obata Amarillo coffee fermented with Natural Geisha mosto because it perfectly represented my concept.
Behind that coffee was someone who decided to experiment, take a risk, and trust a different process.
That is also a moment that changes a story.
My responsibility was to honour all of that work and allow the judges to experience it in the cup.
With the right water and the right recipe, the coffee revealed incredible complexity while maintaining cleanliness and elegance.
7. What was your winning APAX LAB water recipe, and how did it influence the final cup?
The water recipe I used in competition was a 90 ppm profile made with:
Arriving at that recipe was not luck.
It was the result of months of testing and understanding how every adjustment changed the way the coffee expressed itself.
With this combination, I achieved exactly what I wanted for my concept: a cup with pronounced sweetness, a silky texture, and exceptional clarity that allowed every aromatic layer of the Obata Amarillo fermented with Natural Geisha mosto to shine.
The most valuable lesson from this process was realising that water can also become one of those moments that transforms a cup.
When you find the right water recipe, you don't change the coffee's identity — you allow it to show its very best version.
8. What is your favourite quote or motto when it comes to coffee competitions?
“The moments that change our lives rarely happen by chance; they are the result of hundreds of decisions that no one ever sees.”
9. What advice would you give to people who are just starting to build their own water for filter coffee?
Be patient and stay curious.
It's easy to think water is just a small detail until you taste the same coffee with different water profiles and realise it becomes an entirely different experience.
My advice is to listen to the coffee first, understand what it wants to express, and then build water that supports that expression.
There is no perfect recipe for every coffee — only the recipe that allows each coffee to tell its story in the best possible way.
Final Thoughts
Emiliano built his winning routine around the moments that change our lives.
During both the preliminary round and the final, he invited the judges to take a selfie with him, creating a shared memory that became part of his presentation.
At the time, he had no way of knowing just how significant those photographs would become.
The judges pictured alongside him would ultimately become part of the moment in which Emiliano Hellmund was named the 2026 Costa Rica Brewers Cup Champion, turning the idea at the heart of his routine into something unexpectedly real.
Congratulations to Emiliano on an unforgettable national title! We are proud to have APAX LAB play a supporting role in his journey, and excited to see where the next moment takes him.
