The 2021 World Brewers Cup-winning recipe — five pours, a 35-second bloom with no manual agitation, and a coarser grind. A unique no-stir method.
In October 2021, Matt Winton of Switzerland won the World Brewers Cup in Milan — with a recipe that sparked debate in the coffee community. Why? Because he didn't stir the bloom. At all. And he didn't touch the brewer during brewing.
The coffee:
Winton brought a complex blend — 70% Catucai (an Arabica variety) and 30% Eugenioides (a parent species of Arabica). Eugenioides is very rare and known for intense sweetness with almost no perceived bitterness. The blend was served in pink cups to emphasize strawberry and rose tasting notes.
The philosophy — "NO STIR":
Most recipes insist on swirling or stirring immediately after the bloom. Winton says: "It's not required." He demonstrated that the natural agitation of the kettle stream itself, when poured correctly, is enough to create even extraction. Extra stirring risks extraction evenness — uncontrolled agitation.
The 5-pour structure:
Winton used an intentionally asymmetric structure:
- Bloom: 50g, 35 seconds — slightly long. The reason: without stirring, CO2 needs time to release naturally.
- Pour 2: 70g — bigger than bloom. Important: this is the pour that locks in the natural agitation.
- Pours 3, 4, 5: 60g each — identical, evenly timed.
Medium-coarse grind:
Winton explained that the absence of stirring requires faster flow — otherwise water sits on the bed and creates uneven extraction. A coarser grind lets each pour drain quickly and move to the next instead of accumulating.
Low-mineralization water:
Winton used Lauretana water — 14 PPM TDS. Very low. He tested 6 different waters and found differences were marginal in sensory categories for that specific coffee, but low-TDS water gave the highest clarity.
The achievement:
Winton's score was 485 points — among the highest ever. He brought 4 paragraphs of explanation for why he doesn't stir, and when judges drank the cup they understood: the recipe simply works.
The impact:
After the win, the community started asking: how often do we really need to stir? Since then, more brewers have tried skipping the bloom swirl and discovered the cup isn't hurt. It was one of the standards Winton passed to the community.
His recipe is for those who want high extraction without complex technique — no precise manual swirling required, just good controlled pouring.