“It felt like carrying a complete nation’s espresso story onto the worldwide stage,” the Filipino competitor says about his time on the World Barista Championship.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR

Featured photograph courtesy of World Espresso Competitions. All different pictures courtesy of Michael Harris Conlin, until in any other case famous.

Again in 2019, espresso competitor Michael Harris Conlin grew to become the primary from the Philippines to achieve the semi-finals of the World Barista Championship (WBC) and end within the high fifteen. This previous autumn, he returned to the WBC in Milan, Italy, to as soon as once more champion Filipino espresso and the individuals behind it.

“Filipino espresso shouldn’t be solely about taste—it’s about heritage, kindness, and human connection,” he informed Barista Journal. And that is precisely the kind of vitality Michael brings to each the competitors stage and his on a regular basis interactions: an vitality of presence, authenticity, and love for his individuals.

Throughout his 2025 WBC routine, Michael additionally launched his newest invention, the Higher Vessel: an espresso instrument that’s rapidly made headlines throughout the specialty-coffee world. We sat down with Michael to speak about espresso, the Higher Vessel, and extra—what conjures up him, the importance of his time in Milan, and his hopes for himself and the espresso world as an entire.

Barista Journal On-line: Hello Michael! Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Let’s begin with the fundamentals: Inform us about your begin in espresso.

Michael: My espresso journey started in 2001. On the time, I used to be serving to in our household’s abaca rope enterprise, whose merchandise have been primarily exported to america, Europe, and the Center East. I had at all times been a espresso lover, and beginning my day with a freshly brewed cup of espresso was already a part of my each day routine.

Someday, one in every of our abaca fiber suppliers visited our workplace and introduced with him a small batch of inexperienced espresso beans that he had grown alongside his abaca crops. That second was my very first publicity to inexperienced espresso—and it sparked a deep curiosity in me. That single encounter led me into the world of roasting, wholesaling, and finally the enterprise of espresso itself. 

Later that 12 months, I based Conlin Espresso World within the Philippines and in 2013, Henry & Sons, and over time, espresso grew to become excess of a enterprise. It grew to become my life’s mission: to construct a platform the place Filipino farmers, baristas, and communities might thrive collectively.

Espresso has at all times been a bridge for me—between individuals, between generations, and between risk and goal.

How was your expertise on the World Barista Championship in 2019 and final 12 months? You’re recognized for championing Philippine espresso—particularly barako espresso—on the worldwide stage. Why is that this essential to you?

Competing on the World Barista Championship in 2019 was probably the most defining moments of my life. Being the primary Filipino to achieve the semi-finals and ending within the Prime 15 felt like carrying a complete nation’s espresso story onto the worldwide stage. It was an eye-opening expertise. My objective that 12 months was to deliver Philippine espresso again to the worldwide espresso highlight..

Returning once more in 2025 as Philippine Nationwide Champion was much more emotional, as a result of it wasn’t nearly me anymore. It was about displaying the world that Philippine espresso, particularly Liberica, can stand aspect by aspect with a Colombian Egenioded on the world stage. It was surreal that we obtained the best scoring espresso through the first spherical. 

Championing Philippine espresso, particularly barako (Liberica), is deeply private. Our farmers have endured a long time of being missed. I would like them to be seen, valued, and celebrated, as pioneers of one thing extraordinary.

Let’s hear about your invention, Higher Vessel, which you utilized in your 2025 WBC routine. What precisely is it, and the way did the concept for it come to you?

The Higher Vessel is a instrument we designed to enhance espresso texture and taste readability by eradicating crema in an environment friendly method. My major objective in competitors was to showcase Philippine Liberica, which is of course very candy and fragrant, however can even carry excessive ranges of bitterness and umami. These parts can typically make the espresso style unbalanced.

Throughout one in every of my coaching classes, my coach on the time, Federico Bolaños, instructed eradicating the crema to cut back undesirable flavors by pouring the espresso by means of a paper filter. It was a superb thought, however it was too time-consuming and impractical for the fast-paced workflow required on the World Barista Championship stage.

That was when my son, Liam, made an essential statement: Crema at all times rises to the highest as a result of it’s product of CO2 and oils. He instructed that we create a vessel with concave inside partitions, permitting the liquid espresso to stream by means of whereas encouraging the crema to cling to the perimeters.

From there, the concept rapidly become a ardour venture. 3D design and 3D printing have at all times been one in every of my hobbies, so I started creating early prototypes, testing totally different shapes, angles, and inner curves that would separate crema extra effectively with out sacrificing the espresso’s sweetness and physique.

What began as a easy idea grew to become almost two years of steady experimentation and revision—numerous variations, small refinements, and real-world testing—till we lastly arrived on the ultimate Higher Vessel design.

Ultimately, it grew to become greater than only a competitors instrument. It was a private mix of household inspiration, engineering curiosity, and the will to raise the way in which we expertise espresso.

How do you hope the Higher Vessel will influence the café world?

My hope and dream for the Higher Vessel is that it might probably assist make espresso extra welcoming and pleasurable for a wider viewers. By eradicating the bitter, harsh, and astringent elements that usually come from crema, we will spotlight the pure sweetness, readability, and steadiness of espresso.

On the identical time, the Higher Vessel has the potential to cut back waste, which is a serious challenge in each cafés and residential brewing. Baristas typically depend on trial and error when dialing in espresso, and that course of can result in a number of wasted pictures earlier than attaining the perfect extraction.

For many individuals, espresso can really feel intense or intimidating at first. But when cafés are in a position to serve cups which might be smoother and extra approachable, it turns into simpler for brand new customers to understand what specialty espresso really has to supply. I imagine this could open the door for extra individuals to maneuver past sugar-filled espresso drinks and start having fun with espresso in its purest kind.

With Higher Vessel, baristas could possibly pull longer, higher-extraction pictures with extra confidence—maximizing sweetness whereas minimizing bitterness—with out always discarding espresso throughout changes. This will make espresso preparation extra environment friendly, extra sustainable, and more cost effective over time.

In the end, my hope is that Higher Vessel turns into a small however significant contribution to the each day craft of baristas, serving to cafés serve espresso that’s sweeter, cleaner, and extra accessible, whereas additionally supporting a future the place specialty espresso creates much less waste and extra enjoyment for everybody.

What would you like the world to find out about Philippine espresso and the Philippines typically?

I would like the world to find the unbelievable potential of Philippine espresso—however much more than that, I would like individuals to return to know the farmers, the tradition, and the spirit behind each cup. The Philippines isn’t just a espresso origin; it’s a espresso story ready to be totally heard.

We develop exceptional espresso varieties equivalent to Liberica (barako) and Excelsa, and whereas these varieties exist in different producing international locations, the way in which they specific themselves within the Philippines is deeply formed by our distinctive terroir—our volcanic soil, tropical local weather, various elevations, and the distinct traditions of our farming communities throughout the islands.

However what really makes Philippine espresso particular goes far past the beans. On the coronary heart of all of it are our farmers: resilient, hardworking, and deeply linked to the land. A lot of them have endured a long time of being missed within the world specialty market, but they proceed to domesticate espresso with pleasure, persistence, and hope for a greater future.

I additionally need the world to know that the Philippines is a spot of extraordinary heat and hospitality. Our tradition is deeply welcoming, and since English is extensively spoken as a second language, it’s simple for guests to attach with native communities, talk with farmers, and expertise the nation in a really private method.

Filipino espresso shouldn’t be solely about taste—it’s about heritage, kindness, and human connection. While you drink Philippine espresso, you’re additionally tasting the story of our individuals: their resilience, creativity, and their dream of being seen and valued on the world stage.

My hope is that as extra individuals uncover Philippine espresso, they can even assist create a future the place our farming communities can really prosper, thrive, and take their rightful place within the world specialty espresso dialog.

Any thrilling plans for the long run?

There’s a lot forward, and I really feel very enthusiastic about what the following chapter holds. The ultimate industrial mannequin of the Higher Vessel is scheduled for supply within the first quarter of 2026. Alongside that, we’re creating a brand new line of merchandise below the Higher Instruments model—centered on creating considerate options that make the lives of espresso lovers and professionals world wide higher, from café workflows to house brewing experiences.

Past competitors and product innovation, we stay deeply dedicated to the work taking place at origin. Right here within the Philippines, we proceed to undertake and assist espresso communities, serving to enhance high quality, strengthen sustainability, and make sure that extra of the world discovers not solely our wonderful coffees, but in addition the tradition and other people behind them.

My long-term mission is to construct sustainable platforms the place cafés can immediately assist farming communities—making a cycle of dignity, empowerment, and shared success for everybody within the worth chain. In the end, I would like it to depart a legacy of kindness, braveness, and connection.

Any final ideas you’d prefer to share?

Solely this: Espresso has at all times been about greater than the cup.

It’s about individuals: our farmers, our baristas, our communities. It’s about tales of resilience, heritage, and hope. It’s about innovation that elevates the expertise, and kindness that strengthens the connections behind each drink.

And I really imagine the Filipino espresso neighborhood is getting into a brand new chapter—one the place we’re not simply individuals, however leaders sharing our tradition, our coffees, and our coronary heart with the world. Collectively, we’re constructing a lovely espresso future.

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