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2018 Irish AeroPress Championship - Meet our MC & Judges


03 August 2018

Stephen Mullan - Our MC for the night

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1) Give us a brief introduction of yourself.
My name is Stephen I am a stand-up comedian, actor and writer and I have also been working in Speciality Coffee and Restaurants for 9 years.

2) What is your favourite thing about the Aeropress?
The satisfying moment of pushing the puck out at the end.

3) If you could have any coffee superpower, what would it be?
I could fire brews from my favourite single origins from out of 8 of my fingers, my thumbs would have the power to adjust the temperature and the beverage I need at that moment in time.

4) What would your autobiography be called?
Should do better- it was what the teachers always wrote after correcting my homework in primary school.

5) What coffee producing country would you most like to visit and why?
Columbia for coffee football and friends there. Ethiopia obviously because it's where it all began. Also, I have a fascination with Ethiopian long distance runners and their way of life.

6) You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
Yellow, my daughter's favourite colour and that way she can have two yellows in a box.

7) If you were trapped on a desert island, what 3 items would you need?
A football- a device to listen to music and podcasts on- a pen ... or a notebook that has a pen attached to it qualifying it as one item.

8) Describe yourself in 3 words.
Moody, Cheeky, Thinker.

9) Name of a song that best describes your coffee skills.
Smooth operator.

10) Have you ever MC'ed at any events before or is this your first time?
Coffee-wise, I have done plenty of events with my good pals at Vice Coffee inc. the main ones being the Latte Art Throwdowns which have always been great fun. Comedy nights I have done plenty which are also great fun.

11) If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
A monkey because my daughter and I were hanging with them in the zoo recently and they are good guys, they really sold the lifestyle to us.

12) A fact about yourself that you're embarrassed to admit.
Apparently, in my old age, I have started snoring, it's embarrassing because I am always giving out to my partner for snoring... I deny it, she's started filming me for evidence, but the video is pitch black, it's night time, all she has is the audio so that is no proof it's actually me snoring!


Aliona Wynn - 1/3 of our Judging Panel for the Night.

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1) Give us a brief introduction of yourself.
I've been a barista for 4 years now, competed twice, won once and am looking forward to a long and rewarding career in coffee.

2) What is your favourite thing about the Aeropress?
It's indestructible!

3) If you could have any coffee superpower, what would it be?
Destroying Aeropresses.

4) What would your autobiography be called?
Small and mighty.

5) What coffee producing country would you most like to visit and why?
Bolivia. Because it's not going to produce coffee for much longer.

6) You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
I would be 3405C. Because it's POCC green.

7) If you were trapped on a desert island, what 3 items would you need?
I would bring some pickles, coz I love pickles.. case of Mikeller beer and a ticket home.

8) Describe yourself in 3 words.
Pretty f**king fabulous!

9) Name of a song that best describes your coffee skills.
From Russia With Love x

10) Have you ever judged any coffee competitions before?
No, but I am secretly judging everybody all the time.

11) If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would be a bear, coz hibernation sounds amazing.

12) A fact about yourself that you're embarrassed to admit.
I don't embarrass easily.


Jackie Malone - 1/3 of our Judging Panel for the Night.

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1) Give us a brief introduction of yourself.
Jackie Malone, mother of 2! (greatest achievement so far) currently working for the SCA looking after Chapters in Europe so I get to travel a fair bit, meet lots of interesting coffee people.
Been working in and around coffee for most of my working life, pulled my first shot in the 80’s with no training other than this is how the machine works! Barista, coffee shop manger before joining Bewley’s for over 7 years, where I got my first introduction to professional Barista Training and became a Trainer, loved working there as I have made lifelong friends. One being my coffee wife Julie Murray!

2) What is your favourite thing about the AeroPress?
Simplicity of use!

3) If you could have any coffee superpower, what would it be?
To get a machine back flushed as soon as I order from a friendly Barista!

4) What would your autobiography be called?
Work in Progress…more to do!

5) What coffee producing country would you most like to visit and why?
Kenya- always been my FAV origin

6) You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
Grey- all shades, been my fav colour for long time and it’s sometimes nice not to be so black & white about everything especially in life & coffee

7) If you were trapped on a desert island, what 3 items would you need?
Solar powered phone with music and books in abundance, Aeropress and plenty of coffee.

8) Describe yourself in 3 words.
Passionate, Empathic, Bossy!

9) Name of a song that best describes your coffee skills.
Do it again- Steely Dan

10) Have you ever judged any coffee competitions before?
Yes plenty over the years!

11) If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
Well I’d like to be a Dolphin as they look like they have lots of fun and make people smile but I’m probably more akin to a Dragon!

12) A fact about yourself that you're embarrassed to admit.
Reformed Coffee Criminal!!
I can paint and don’t do it as much as I should.
Rubbish at public speaking!



Ieva Japertaite - 1/3 of our Judging Panel for the Night.

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1) Give us a brief introduction of yourself.
My name is Ieva, I’m from Lithuania, but at this stage I’m more Irish than the Irish themselves. How did I land into the world of coffee? I thank the recession for that- I had to get a job in a tiny cafe in Delgany, co Wicklow circa 2006. The cafe was famous for its breakfast rolls- staple diet for the builders during property boom, and they used McCabes Coffee in there too- that was the first time I’d heard of McCabes and brewed my first espresso..

Fast forward a decade and I’m drinking coffee for a living (cuppings, taste profiles, origins, blends), driving around Ireland in a van full of coffee (deliveries and customer service) and discussing differences between a small latte and a flat white with anyone that will listen (barista training).

2) What is your favourite thing about the AeroPress?
Easy clean up compared to Chemex or v60 vessels -when ocd kicks in and you’re trying to polish out the streaks on the inside of the glass and you crack it- there’s none of that!

3) If you could have any coffee superpower, what would it be?
Tricky one.. its between being able to eat spicy food and still have full function of my taste buds and removing static from grinders with a blink of an eye.

4) What would your autobiography be called?

“My name is spelled with an i"
Because if I had a €1 every time my name got spelled wrong I could go on a trip around the world, well realistically I could probably treat myself to Ryanair flight with priority boarding and a check in bag.

5) What coffee producing country would you most like to visit and why?

I have Mexico on my list, few reasons:
Tacos, Margaritas, Chocolate, Frida Kahlo, amazing jute bag designs, growing economy, next door to Guatemala (boarder hopping to get 2 for 1) and just to stick it to Trump- funny enough USA is the biggest buyer of Mexican coffee

6) You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
I’m sorry, I’m not putting myself in a box, its just simply not big enough to fit all the colours I want to be- one day it could be blue grey, a week later pink with sparkles, who knows?

7) If you were trapped on a desert island, what 3 items would you need?
Endless supply of duct tape (you can make pretty much anything out of it), coconut oil (fixes everything- your skin, your hair, your bank account… ) and Colin Harmon's book “What I know about running coffee shops” - it has been sitting on my nightstand, with a bookmark on page 48 for the last 5 months- I would finally have a chance to finish it in peace and quiet!

8) Describe yourself in 3 words.
Kind, funny, optimistic

9) Name of a song that best describes your coffee skills.
Foo Fighters “All My Life”

10) Have you ever judged any coffee competitions before?
In 2017 I did the time keeping for the finals and in 2018 I was honoured to be part of the judging team for Irish Barista and Latte Art Championships (Semi’s and Finals)

11) If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

I would be a dog, because they live in a moment, are always up for an adventure and have personalities larger than life.

12) A fact about yourself that you're embarrassed to admit.
Oh god…. I almost went to work for Starbucks back in 2005, I didn’t because I panicked at the thought of having to drink loads of coffee- tea was life back then, still is sometimes..