International Coffee Throwing Competition - Chucking Coffee for a Cause at The Bernard Shaw

We've walked by The Bernard Shaw on Camden Street in Dublin many a time but we'd never stopped in for a drink. The weekly flea market combined with the first International Coffee Throwing Competition made for an irresistible draw this time though. We got together with a group of friends and decided to make an afternoon of it as spectators at the event. 

We made our way inside and passed edgy street art as we moved toward the inner courtyard where all the action takes place.

The flea market was in full swing. I managed to get myself a red leopard print scarf for just a few euro. There was a picture of David Hasselhoff on the wall in fishnet stockings that just made me smile.

The Bernard Shaw also features the Big Blue Bus which sells freshly made pizzas. We ordered a couple of craft beers and cider, placed our pizza order, and grabbed a booth upstairs that was kind of like a snug. The flea market and repurposed school bus capture the atmosphere perfectly: quirky and hip.

It was soon time for the first ever International Coffee Throwing Competition sponsored by 3FE with proceeds to benefit Grounds for Health, a charity that works to provide medical care to women in coffee growing areas. The goal was to chuck a pound or more of coffee as far as possible without the bag splitting open. We intended to just watch from the sidelines but then realized it was only a fiver and it looked like hella fun. Our new friend Carey talked me into doing it with her. We were amply rewarded for our good deed in anteing up our 5 EUR to enter with a voucher for 10 EUR worth of drinks (either two house cocktails or 3 Brahma beers).

Colin from 3FE and several lovely assistants drew out a tape measure to mark the throwing course.

The action soon got underway and coffee was lobbed with flair from one end of the field to the other.

There were definitely some casualties and several folks disqualified when their bags broke open. Mine remained intact but Carey's busted for a disqualification.

There was also an element of ritual to the event. Each participant was interviewed by a traxedo clad judge, Steve Leighton, founder of Has Bean Coffee. The goal was to get the crowd on your side by being as over the top as possible. I wore my flea market leopard print with flair and talked a bit of smack about my illustrious coffee throwing career state-side (all entirely improvised, of course!). I threw my bag of off-roast coffee which was generously supplied by 3FE. The angle was all wrong and it didn't go very far. I was ready to skulk my way back to the sidelines when the judges decided to give me a do-over. This time the bag of coffee sailed forward but alas not far enough to secure a spot on the podium. I did get 10 points and a little something extra from one of the judges. Not bad for a first outing :-)

We were all playing for a coveted championship belt in three different weight classes. This is definitely something that I'll train for and aspire to next year!

Congratulations to the winners for leaving it all on the field. Their execution and showmanship is an inspiration to us all!