Cover photo credit: Lo Mejor del Café Magazine
Sofía Hernández’s first Mexican Brewers Cup title has been four competitions in the making.
Her journey began in 2021, continued with watching the World Brewers Cup from the audience in 2022, and reached a first national final in 2023. Each year added a new reference point, while three years of coaching with Carlos Escobar helped shape both her brewing and competition approach.
For her 2026 routine, Sofía blended a washed Mexican Geisha from Carlos Cadena of Finca Pocitos with a Colombian natural Sidra from Jhoan Vergara of Finca Las Flores, pursuing a distinctly fruit-forward cup. JAMM and KONFLUX became part of the water she built around that sensory direction.
We spoke with Sofía about the years behind her first national title, the blend that shaped her winning routine, and what it means to return to the World Brewers Cup, this time as Mexico’s representative.
1. Congratulations on becoming the 2026 Mexican Brewers Cup Champion! After four competitions, what does winning the national title mean to you, and how have you grown along the way?
My first competition was in 2021, and it helped me understand much better what the competition is about and what it feels like to stand in front of an audience and judges.
In 2022, I attended a World competition for the first time, and that was when I saw the Brewers Cup stage and had the opportunity to watch many competitors perform their routines and present coffees with incredible descriptions.
That motivated me even more to try again in 2023, this time with a coach, Carlos Escobar. I reached the finals for the first time, and it was an incredible moment.
Carlos has contributed tremendously to my professional and personal growth because, for me, competing is a challenge that helps you grow in both areas. Working with Carlos for three consecutive years has allowed me to improve every year, learn so much more, and understand the level required to compete.
Photo credit: @jalvarogutierrez (Instagram)
After four competitions, I have finally won the championship. I feel incredibly proud, and I am certain that this achievement would never have been possible without the amazing team that has been by my side, supporting me every step of the way.
Every year, I have learned something from the previous one, and winning this year has allowed me to visualise what I want for the World stage.
2. What coffee did you choose for your competition routine, and what made it the right coffee for the experience you wanted to create?
This year, I used a blend: a washed Mexican Geisha produced by Carlos Cadena from Finca Pocitos, and a Colombian Natural Sidra produced by Jhoan Vergara from Finca Las Flores.
I wanted to serve a very fruit-forward coffee, and combining the two helped me achieve that.
Drinking it felt like having a cocktail of fresh fruits. When I tasted this blend, I knew that this was the expression I wanted to share on stage.
The most important part was building the cup.
3. Water quality is such an important part of brewing. What role did water play in developing your competition recipe?
Once we had the coffee, the next step was building the cup — playing with all the variables to find its best expression.
One of those variables that made a significant difference was the water.
We wanted to improve the texture and modulate the acidity while increasing sweetness. JAMM and KONFLUX were our best allies in achieving these results.
Photo credit: @jalvarogutierrez (Instagram)
5. How did you first discover APAX LAB, and what made you choose our mineral concentrates for your competition water?
In 2024, I used APAX LAB on stage for the first time. I discovered it thanks to Carlos, who showed us a simpler way to build competition water, since the concentrates were already prepared and ready to dilute.
A year earlier, in 2023, we bought all the minerals in powder form and prepared the concentrations and blends ourselves.
APAX made the process much easier. It worked well for us because we could build the water around the coffee, which is a fundamental part when competing outside your home city.
6. What was your winning APAX LAB water recipe, and how did you arrive at that particular combination?
The water recipe I used was:
The goal was to balance the acidity, increase sweetness, and improve the texture of the cup.
After several tests with different amounts of each, we found that this exact combination created a smooth, round texture and brought out the fruity sweetness in the cup.
7. Competition preparation often changes the way we understand a coffee. Was there anything you discovered during practice that significantly changed your final recipe or approach?
Photo credit: Lo Mejor del Café Magazine
Absolutely. This particular competition was full of challenges.
Using a blend of two coffees with completely different profiles — fruity and floral — was a major challenge because I couldn’t choose which one was better. They were both incredibly good.
Finding the right ratio was very important. The goal wasn’t for one to overpower the other, but rather for them to create something new together.
Discovering new notes such as fresh watermelon, sweet blueberry, and raspberry was spectacular.
8. You’ll now be representing Mexico on the World Brewers Cup stage. What does it mean to move from watching Worlds in the audience to competing there yourself?
I have had the opportunity to attend several World competitions and watch competitors from the audience do incredible things.
This time, I get to go as a competitor, and that is something that excites me tremendously. It is also a great responsibility to represent my country and our baristas.
I have found inspiration in great competitors from around the world, and I am certain that I will give it my all to become like them.
9. What is your motto, favourite quote, or mindset when it comes to coffee competition?
“Trust what you know, focus on what matters, and deliver with confidence.”
10. For brewers hoping to compete one day, what’s one lesson from your journey that you think is worth sharing?
Never give up.
It is okay to make mistakes, and it is okay not to achieve your goal the first time, because those are the experiences that help you grow and try again.
You don’t have to know everything — no one does — but having the humility to recognise that is what will bring you closer to your goals.
Photo credit: Lo Mejor del Café Magazine
Final Thoughts
Sofía’s first national title was not built around one breakthrough moment. It came through four competitions, years of coaching, and the gradual accumulation of lessons about coffee, presentation and herself as a competitor.
Her 2026 routine reflected that process. Two very different coffees were blended until neither overpowered the other, while her water was refined around the sweetness, acidity and texture she wanted to present.
There is something fitting about what comes next. In 2022, Sofía watched the World Brewers Cup from the audience. In 2026, she returns as Mexico’s representative.
Her own competition mindset perhaps says it best:
“Trust what you know. Focus on what matters. Deliver with confidence.”
Congratulations to Sofía Hernández, the 2026 Mexican Brewers Cup Champion! We are proud to have APAX LAB play a supporting role in her journey and excited to see everything she has built carried onto the world stage.
