Al Kevin Tayrus Wins 2025 ‘Brew Ta Bai: Iligan Pour Over Battle’

 

Al Kevin I. Tayrus of Flour & Flora Café emerged as the champion of the 2025 Brew Ta Bai: Iligan Pour Over Battle, held on October 27 at Robinsons Mall in Tubod, Iligan City.

The competition, organized by the Iligan Coffee Community (ICC), aimed to raise awareness of specialty coffee and spotlight the talent of Iligan-based brewers.

Exclusively open to local brewers, the event showcased the creativity, skill, and passion of Iligan’s coffee artisans. Tayrus dedicated a week to refining his brewing method. Despite feeling nervous, he remained calm and focused throughout the event.

“My plan after winning is to keep improving my skills, learn more about coffee, and hopefully join more competitions in the future,” Tayrus shared.

Other winners included:

• Lance Dela Torre – 1st Runner-Up
• Ace Cabasa – 2nd Runner-Up
• Jedidiah Avelino – 3rd Runner-Up

ICC President and Beans & Bites owner Victoria Marie R. Esquierdo called the event a milestone for Iligan’s growing coffee scene.

“It brought together coffee stakeholders to connect, learn, and celebrate the craft. This was our first official event as a community,” she said.

Founded earlier this year, ICC was created to unite baristas, café owners, roasters, and coffee enthusiasts in Iligan. Its mission is to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and elevate the city’s coffee culture.

ICC also aims to spotlight Iligan’s local producers and roasters, including Sikyop Coffee Farm, Arabigo Coffee Roastery, Quatro Coffee, and Urban Coffee Roasters—proving that world-class coffee is brewed right in Iligan.

Esquierdo encourages everyone to support the local coffee movement.

“Support your local cafés, discover the flavors of our homegrown beans, and celebrate the passion behind every cup. Who knows? The next coffee champion might just be from Iligan. Let’s keep brewing connections and put Iligan on the coffee map,” she said.

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