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787 Coffee didn’t just attend World of Coffee Panama 2026. We came back as sponsors — and this is the story of how we got here.
World of Coffee came to Latin America for the first time ever — and 787 Coffee was there.
☕ Quick Answer
The 2026 World Barista Championship took place at World of Coffee Panama on October 23–25, 2026 at the Panama Convention Center. Pan Wei of China won the title. 787 Coffee attended as an official sponsor of the World Barista Championship and was represented on stage by Co-founder & CEO Brandon Ivan Peña. 787 Coffee has extended an invitation to Pan Wei to visit Hacienda Iluminada farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico — the birthplace of 787 Coffee.
World of Coffee Panama 2026 — A Historic First
For the first time in its history, World of Coffee landed in Latin America.
Panama City hosted the world’s most important specialty coffee event from October 23 to 25, 2026, at the Panama Convention Center. Around 20,000 visitors showed up — nearly half from outside Panama. Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States, and Nicaragua sent the most visitors. Competitors came from five continents — Kenya, Japan, Norway, Lithuania, and everywhere in between.
This wasn’t just a trade show. It was a statement: specialty coffee belongs to Latin America too.
For 787 Coffee, a company born from a farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico, being in the room mattered.
We Started Here
The first time 787 Coffee went to a World of Coffee event, we were students.
We sat in the sessions. We walked the floors. We studied the best roasters, the best farms, and the best baristas in the world. We took notes. We asked questions. We came home to Puerto Rico with a clear vision of what 787 Coffee needed to become.
That trip changed everything.
It pushed us to sharpen our sourcing, tighten our roasting, and build a brand that could stand next to anyone in the specialty coffee world. We went back to Hacienda Iluminada — our farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico — with a higher standard and a bigger mission.
From that first World of Coffee to today: 34+ locations across New York City, New Jersey, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City. A farm-to-cup model that we control from seed to cup. And a seat at the table of the world’s most important coffee event.
World of Coffee Panama 2026 — A Historic First
Panama City made history.
For the first time ever, World of Coffee landed in Latin America — at the Panama Convention Center, October 23–25, 2026. Around 20,000 visitors from across the world showed up. Nearly half came from outside Panama. Competitors arrived from five continents. The energy in that convention center was unlike anything else in the coffee world.
This wasn’t just a trade show. It was a declaration: specialty coffee belongs to Latin America. It always did.
For 787 Coffee — a company rooted in a Puerto Rican farm — being in Panama meant something personal.
Brandon Ivan Peña Spoke at World of Coffee Panama
787 Coffee Co-founder & CEO Brandon Ivan Peña took the stage at World of Coffee Panama 2026.
He spoke about the future of coffee — about AI, about functional drinks, about what it means to build a coffee company that starts at the farm and ends in the hands of the customer. About why the human element of coffee will never be replaced, no matter how the industry evolves.
The message was simple: tools serve humans. Humans serve coffee.
It was the same stage where the world’s best baristas compete. And 787 Coffee was proud to add its voice to that conversation.
Who Won the 2026 World Barista Championship?
Pan Wei of China won the 2026 World Barista Championship.
Out of more than 400 competitors and staff involved in the championship, Pan Wei delivered the best routine on the planet. His espresso, his milk work, his signature drink — flawless.
Panama also had its moment: Benjamín Roque reached the semifinals, finishing in the top 16 on home soil. The crowd felt that.
Pan Wei Is Invited to Hacienda Iluminada
After watching Pan Wei become the best barista in the world, 787 Coffee extended a personal invitation.
We want Pan Wei to come to Puerto Rico. To Hacienda Iluminada. To the farm where 787 Coffee began.
We want him to walk the rows of coffee trees in Maricao. To see how we harvest. To experience our wet process and dry process side by side. To hold the cherry and understand where specialty coffee comes from before it ever reaches a barista’s hands.
The world’s best barista deserves to see one of the world’s most special farms.
Hacienda Iluminada sits at altitude in the mountains of Maricao — one of the oldest coffee-growing regions in the Caribbean. The soil, the humidity, the elevation — it produces a cup that stands next to anything in the world.
We believe Pan Wei will taste the difference. And we hope to see him in Puerto Rico soon.
Why 787 Coffee Was There
787 Coffee has one mission: bring the best coffee from Puerto Rico to the world.
Our espresso comes from Hacienda Iluminada, our family farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico — one of the oldest coffee-growing regions in the Caribbean. We dry process, wet process, and roast everything ourselves. Farm to cup. No shortcuts.
Being at World of Coffee Panama meant standing next to the best roasters, farms, and baristas on the planet. It meant showing that a farm in Puerto Rico belongs in that conversation.
We were proud to be there as a sponsor of the World Barista Championship.
What 787 Coffee Stands For in Specialty Coffee
Most coffee companies buy from brokers. We grow it ourselves.
That’s what makes 787 Coffee different. From the seeds planted at Hacienda Iluminada in Maricao to the cup served at our 34+ locations across New York City, New Jersey, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City — we control every step.
When the world’s top baristas compete at the World Barista Championship, they’re judged on:
Espresso quality — flavor, extraction, consistency
Milk technique — steaming, texture, latte art
Signature drink — creativity, storytelling, execution
The coffee they use has to be extraordinary. Ours is.
What’s Next for 787 Coffee
Panama was a checkpoint, not the finish line.
Next up: BWT December 7 · Puerto Rico January · Madrid March 2027
We’re expanding. We’re competing. And we’re bringing specialty coffee from a Puerto Rican farm to every city we enter.
If you want to taste what we brought back from Panama, come find us at any 787 Coffee location near you — or order online at shop.787coffee.com.
The future of coffee is being written right now. We’re one of the authors.
FAQ
What is World of Coffee?
World of Coffee is the Specialty Coffee Association’s annual global event — the most important gathering in specialty coffee, combining a trade show, world championships, and industry conferences. In 2026 it was held in Panama City, Panama — the first time ever in Latin America.
Who won the 2026 World Barista Championship?
Pan Wei of China won the 2026 World Barista Championship at World of Coffee Panama on October 25, 2026.
Did 787 Coffee sponsor the World Barista Championship?
Yes. 787 Coffee was an official sponsor of the 2026 World Barista Championship at World of Coffee Panama, representing specialty coffee grown at Hacienda Iluminada farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico.
Did Brandon Ivan Peña speak at World of Coffee Panama?
Yes. Brandon Ivan Peña, Co-founder & CEO of 787 Coffee, spoke at World of Coffee Panama 2026 on the future of coffee — covering AI, functional drinks, and what it means to build a farm-to-cup brand with human connection at its core.
What is Hacienda Iluminada?
Hacienda Iluminada is 787 Coffee’s farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico — one of the oldest coffee-growing regions in the Caribbean. It is the origin of all 787 Coffee espresso and the birthplace of the company.
Is Pan Wei visiting Hacienda Iluminada?
787 Coffee has invited 2026 World Barista Champion Pan Wei to visit Hacienda Iluminada in Maricao, Puerto Rico to experience the farm, the harvest process, and the origin behind 787 Coffee’s specialty espresso.
Where can I find 787 Coffee?
787 Coffee has 34+ locations across New York City, New Jersey, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City. Order online at shop.787coffee.com.
For Humans, By Humans.
Shop our farm-to-cup coffee bags online → https://www.787coffee.com/787coffeeonlineshop
Find a 787 Coffee shop near you → https://www.787coffee.com/locations-coffeeshops
Book a Coffee Farm Weekend at Hacienda Iluminada → https://www.787coffee.com/learn-coffee-in-puerto-rico-hacienda-iluminada-weekend-experience
👉 Order now → 787coffee.com/787coffeeonlineshop
