LINK roaster powers top three in the German Coffee in Good Spirits

At this year’s German Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, all three podium finishers had one key piece of equipment in common: the LINK sample roaster. The competition, known for combining exceptional coffee with creative mixology, showcased not only world-class talent but also the growing role of precision roasting tools in helping baristas perform at their peak.

We spoke to each of the top three finishers – Vladyslav Demonenko, Nicole Battefeld-Montgomery and Hoang Long Nguyen – to learn more about their routines, coffees and how they used the LINK sample roaster to prepare for the competition.

A shared tool, three unique routines

Taking first place was Vladyslav Demonenko. Having moved to Germany from Ukraine in 2022, he has established his own roastery, Kolo Coffee and will soon open his first venue in Berlin.

He is no stranger to coffee competitions and the Coffee in Good Spirits (CiGS) stage, having won the Ukrainian CiGS championship on two separate occasions, placed 2nd in the 2022 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, and won the Ukrainian Brewers Cup in 2023.

Impressively, Vladyslav also competed in the German Barista Championship this year, placing 4th.

Inspired by his travels to origin and a passion for modern bar and restaurant techniques, Vladyslav delivered a performance that combined flavour clarity with innovative cocktail craft. He used a Java from Las Flores in Colombia’s Huila region, processed using a new “hydrohoney natural” method.

“It’s very bright and complex,” he explained. “I saw the whole journey from cherry to cup at the farm and was 100% sure this was the coffee for my routine.”

Having also used the LINK to roast his coffee for the 2023 World Brewers Cup, Vlad once again used this roaster to prepare his Colombian Java for the 2025 CiGS championship.

“For me, [LINK] is the perfect example of innovation and simplicity,” he said. “It’s clear, accurate, and very easy to use.”

His approach to roasting this coffees involved a filter roast with 20% development time, using the Filter C profile pack.

“For a dense coffee like this, it was perfect. Very clear flavours that worked well in cocktails.”

Second place went to Nicole Battefeld-Montgomery of Next Level Coffee. She is also no stranger to the competition stage, having previously won the Germans CiGS competition in 2019 and placing 5th in the world the same year.

Nicole has also won the German Brewers Cup twice (2021, 2022), Barista Championship (2018), and has placed 2nd in both the German Cup Tasters (2022) and Latte Art competitions (2024). She also coached Vladyslav in 2022, when he placed 2nd in the World CiGS championship.

For the 2025 CiGS competition, Nicole’s performance was inspired by her wedding, which took place in Australia during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions – forcing a limited number of guests.

“We couldn’t celebrate the way we wanted to, so I brought that love and joy to the coffee community,” she said.

Nicole chose two standout coffees: a natural Ethiopian from Röststätte (Berlin) for the cold drink, and Finca Deborah ‘Nirvana’ Geisha for the Irish Coffee.

Her drinks were designed to capture the spirit of celebration and togetherness, including an Espresso Margarita using Mexican condiment Tajín as a garnish, and a take on the classic Irish coffee that used a blend of several whiskeys and a honey from her mother-in-law’s garden in Australia.

However, after a complication with her filter brewing on stage, Nicole forgot to add the Australian honey to her cocktail – despite this, the judges still applauded the cocktail for its vibrancy and sweetness.

“The Geisha was so sweet that even when I forgot to add my sweet component on stage, I still got great scores,” she said.

She roasted the ‘Nirvana’ Geisha using the LINK, using the Filter E profile pack that has a shorter dry phase and extended Maillard phase development.

“It’s now my trusted competition roaster – I can push the coffee to get the best cup quality, and the whole process is incredibly easy to use,” she said.

“It helped me bring out the sweetness and complexity I needed.”

Nicole also faced one of the toughest challenges of any competitor, having just had a baby a little over four months before the competition.

“I only managed to practice three times before the competition,” she said. “But I’m so proud to have placed second just four months postpartum. It shows what passion and perseverance can do.”

In third place was Hoang Long Nguyen, also of Kolo Coffee, who was competing for the first time. Having worked in the coffee industry since 2020, he has worked as a head barista and front-of-house for several specialty coffee shops, and has also started his own small coffee business, twogather Café.

Working alongside Vladyslav at Kolo Coffee in roasting and packaging, the two of them prepared for the competition together.

“My inspiration came from my inner passion for crafting beverages,” he said. “And having Vlad as a coach was the perfect opportunity to test myself.”

Hoang used a Sudan Rume from Wilton Benitez, processed using a washed anaerobic thermal method. He says that the coffee’s flavours—wild strawberry, peach juice, and iced tea—reminded him of spring.

“That inspired my concept: a journey from winter into spring through drinks.”

He also relied on the LINK to refine the roast for his competition coffees. Vladyslav assisted with roasting, using a 8–8.5 minute roast which finished with a temperature between 208–211°C.

“I chose [the LINK] because of its consistency and compact size. Small batches helped me test a lot and choose the exact profile,” he said.

Like many first-time competitors, Hoang’s biggest hurdle was stage fright. “I overcame it with support from my partner and some self-therapy,” he said.

Speaking to his experience as a first-time competitor, he offers advice to anyone else who is considering participating in coffee competitions for the first time.

“Having fun is fundamental. Things won’t go exactly as planned, so you have to adapt. Do it like you feel it—not how others expect you to.”

To learn more about the LINK roaster and using it in competitions, click here.

Photos: Sinan Muslu, SCA Germany