Barista champ full of beans

• Would you pay $100 for a cup of coffee?

Melburnians may be obsessed with coffee but the hometown advantage was not enough for St Ali's Matt Perger to be crowned the World Barista Champion.

Instead, Pete Licata from Kansas City is the new champion after beating five other finalists in front of 1000 at the Showgrounds on Sunday as part of the Melbourne International Coffee Expo 2013. It was the first time the World Barista Championships had been held in Australia.

A smooth routine focusing on the hands the coffee bean passes through on its journey from crop to cup secured Licata the victory.

''I feel great - flattered to come out on top of these people who are absolutely amazing baristas,'' Licata said.

During his 15-minute presentation, Licata made espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink for four sensory judges, while technical judges swarmed around his barista station. He says he was inspired by recognising the work of all those hands that the coffee had passed through - from farmer to roaster to barista.

Licata's signature drink used chilled espresso, palm sugar syrup and an aromatic, bitter infusion of orange peel, lemongrass and quinine to highlight the acidity, sweetness and bitterness of his chosen coffee, Colombian Cup of Excellence.

Perger, who finished second, admitted his presentation was a little risky. He used a light filter roast of a Colombian Finca Santuario coffee that was ground to a coarser filter grind and given a long extraction through an espresso machine to make what he called a ''lungo''.

He then invited the judges to assemble the signature drink themselves from a menu with three recipes.

Perger's second place follows his third place in the 2011 championship in Colombia.

The World Brewers Cup (non-espresso coffee) was won by Erin McCarthy from Counter Culture Coffee in New York.