Calgarian wins Canadian coffee competition; now heading to world championship

A Calgary barista has taken top honours at a national competition, earning recognition for exceptional coffee making skills.

A Calgarian has been crowned the champion at the 2026 Canadian National Barista Championship.

Caffeinated competitors from across Canada gathered in Calgary last week to participate in the three-day coffee competition.

The championship took place at School House Roasting in the Burns Industrial area from June 12 to 14.

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Skillful Canadian baristas each offered 15-minute routines making four espressos, four milk beverages and four signature drinks.

The entries were then evaluated by a panel of judges based on flavour, technique, creativity and hospitality.

Monogram Coffee’s Jill Hoff was named the winning barista.

The victory marks Hoff’s second time winning the title, having previously done so in 2020.

At the time, she became the first woman to earn the title.

Now, six years later, she’s done it again.

Hoff works as the director of coffee at Monogram, who hosted this year’s competition alongside the Specialty Coffee Association of Canada.

Monogram says Hoff presented a blend of Chakira, a newly discovered coffee variety from Colombia, and Liberica, a rare coffee species experiencing a resurgence within specialty coffee, as her espresso.

For her milk beverage, she showcased a 100 per cent Liberica coffee from Indonesia, pairing it with freeze-distilled milk.

Her signature beverage used chilled shots of Chakira alongside ingredients like vanilla, orange peel and star anise.

“Together, the three courses celebrated coffee as a story of discovery, creativity and possibility,” Monogram said in a news release.

Hoff will now represent Canada at the 2026 World Barista Championship in Panama City, Panama, from Oct. 22 to 25.