I Belong In These Spaces

"I think having this title for me is a reminder that I do belong in these spaces." — Julie Patadia⁠

When Julie Patadia added her name to the waitlist for Origami Cup USA 2026, she wasn't expecting much to come of it. Days later, she was on a flight to Houston. We caught up with Julie to talk about the whirlwind lead-up to the competition, her mindset during the day, and what this title means for her going forward — plus, she shared her go-to recipe for the Pinn Dripper.

You were waitlisted — what did the last-minute call and decision to fly out feel like?

"When I added myself to the waitlist for this competition I really didn't expect much out of it! The funny thing is I was actually having a conversation with my partner about our future and some of the goals we'd like to work towards in our professional lives when Slow Pour called me. It almost felt like a sign from the universe that I was on the right track, so it was the easiest decision to make. After the initial excitement though, the panic of preparing for a competition that was taking place in a matter of days set in."

What was going through your mind once you found out you were in?

"Initially, once I found out I was in I was really excited. I've been using the origami dripper for a very long time and I was excited to be in a competitive space where I got to showcase my skills on it. Then came the nerves and the panic — like, holy crap, I just committed to a competition I really don't have the time to prepare for. But participating in the Origami Cup this year, for me, was a practice in showing up no matter what. I knew I wasn't as prepared as I'd normally like to be, and that was a little scary, but I didn't want that fear to deter me from an incredible opportunity."

What did your prep look like once you knew you were competing?

"Once I found out I was in, I tried to come up with a game plan to practice with the very little time I had. I read the rules over and over again, making sure I didn't miss anything, and I just practiced dialing in mystery coffees that one of my coworkers brought in. I always like having a plan and feeling prepared, so I needed to get to a place where I wouldn't get up there and panic. Something I learned from participating in Brewers Cup is you always have to practice your practice, so I would time myself and see how many pour overs I was able to make in 20 minutes."

Was there a moment during your routine where everything clicked?

"At home, if I'm making a pour over I'll always reach for the Origami, so over the years I've dialed in many different coffees using it. I think after my first round, which was a little frantic, I was able to just treat it as if I were dialing a coffee in at home. I think not having as much time to prepare actually ended up working in my advantage, because as someone who overthinks and second-guesses herself a lot, I had to stick to something simple for this competition because of my time limitations. Since I didn't have the time to overthink anything, I had to stick to a very standard recipe and trust that that would be enough."

How do you think this win changes things for you going forward?

"I think this win changes things for me in a lot of ways. Personally, I think it really boosts my confidence as a brewer. When I started competing in brewing competitions there weren't a lot of folks that competed who look like me, which is what kept me coming back. However, that also comes with a lot of imposter syndrome and a lot of self-doubt as a brewer. I think having this title for me is a reminder that I do belong in these spaces. I've worked really hard to get to where I am and to have the knowledge that I do — all I needed was the confidence and trust in that, and this title gives me that. I feel like this is going to bring me to places in the coffee world I never expected to be, and I'm really excited for that."