MANGUPURA, balitourismnow.com – Not only the participants, but also the guests in attendance were thrilled. The culmination of Milklab Bali Café Creation 2025 was indeed thrilling. Despite the festive atmosphere at 70° Fahrenheit Café, right in the heart of Jimbaran, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
Milklab Bali Café Creation ran from July 20 to August 15, 2025. Cafe lovers from all over Bali supported their favorite creations—either by voting online or enjoying Milklab X Wheel Brews Free Coffee Days at Level 21 Mall and Living World Mall Denpasar.
“The enthusiasm of cafe lovers has been the driving force behind this celebration of coffee creativity. After counting thousands of votes, the 12 cafes with the most votes advanced to the Final Round,” said Willy Sidewalk – the Head Judge for the competition and the author of Barista #NoCingCong.
To build excitement ahead of the Final Showdown, Milklab, in collaboration with Excelso at Icon Mall, Sanur, hosted a special Latte Lab with Anthony Douglas on August 26th.
The event aimed to raise awareness and highlight the growing trend in new flavor experiences with plant-based milk, while leveraging Anthony’s credibility to validate Milklab’s blend of Almond and Oat with traditional Indonesian flavors.
“This event also served as the perfect platform to introduce and encourage the trial of six innovative drinks,” added Willy Sidewalk, 2011 Indonesia Barista Competition Surabaya Champion, and seasoned coffee professional with over 15 years of experience.
“Taste of Nusantara,” which blends local heritage with modern cafe culture. The Final Showdown was held at 70° Fahrenheit Café, Jimbaran on August 27th, where they wowed not only the audience but also a panel of expert judges.
The finalists were evaluated based on visual presentation, drink aesthetics, storytelling and introduction, flavor appeal, and overall experience.
After the judging, the panel of judges announced the winners of the 2025 Milklab Bali Café Creation: Yoga Diasa from Tlaga Singha – First Place Winner: IDR 10,000,000 in cash + 1 Year of Milklab equipment (valued at IDR 12,000,000).
Meanwhile, Andre from Chandi Restaurant – Second Place Winner: IDR 7,500,000 in cash + 6 Months of Milklab equipment (valued at IDR 6,000,000). Ngurah Andi from Dimare Restaurant – Second Place Winner: IDR 5,000,000 in cash + 3 Months of Milklab equipment (valued at IDR 3,000,000).
In addition, five lucky voters will each win IDR 1,000,000! The winners will be announced on Instagram @milklabindo.
Willy Sidewalk stated that through Milklab Bali Café Creation 2025, Milklab aims to inspire and enhance cafe creativity in Bali, encouraging baristas to experiment with unique, high-quality plant-based milk drinks.
With the growing demand for plant-based coffee options in Bali, this initiative aims to showcase how the Milklab range—featuring almond, oat, coconut, and more—can be the perfect canvas for innovative beverage creations.
By providing a platform for collaboration, skill-sharing, and friendly competition, Milklab hopes to foster creativity and awareness, empowering local cafes to lead the plant-based coffee movement in Indonesia.
In addition to Willy Sidewalk, Milklab hyga judges include Anthony Douglas – 2022 World Barista Champion & MILKLAB Global Brand Ambassador; and Yande J. Wirawan – Head Barista & Coffee Trainer at Expat Roasters, MILKLAB Global Brand Ambassador.
These included Bili Yoga Wirawan – Best Restaurant Mixologist of the Year 2024 by Les Grandes Tables du Monde and Karlie Cummins – Founder of Bali Buddies & Indo Buddies.
At the end of the event, Willy Sidewalk expressed his gratitude to all participating cafes. “This includes the enthusiastic voters, and especially Wheel Brews for our partnership for Free Coffee Day, and 70° Fahrenheit Café, Jimbaran for our incredible partnership and sponsorship of the Final Showdown and awards ceremony,” he explained.
Collaboration is at the heart of Milklab’s purpose — every activation is an opportunity to support and collaborate with local cafes, empowering the coffee community to grow together. [rls]