Alyson Wong, Germany
Gentle Madness
Please tell us a little about yourself:
I’m Alyson from Gentle Madness, currently working at Cøffe in Düsseldorf, Germany. I started my coffee journey in 2022, and since then coffee has completely taken over my life in the best possible way.
This year is extra special for me because after competing in GERLAC for the third time, I finally made it to Worlds. The coffee community I grew up with in my region has been a huge inspiration for me to compete. Being surrounded by passionate, and supportive people made me want to challenge myself, step on stage, and see how far I could go.
Competing is my way of pushing my limits, learning more about coffee, and sharing the excitement that made me fall in love with this industry in the first place.
Fun fact about me: I’m not only obsessed with coffee, but also with cats. I currently have three cats in Germany and one more back in my hometown, so technically I have an international cat family cheering me on.
What are you excited to do while you are in San Diego?
I’m really excited to explore the food scene while visiting San Diego. Coming from Düsseldorf, home to what I believe is one of the best ramen scenes in Europe, I’m especially curious to try ramen in the US and see how it compares. And of course, I’m on a mission to find some amazing fish tacos and seafood while I’m there.
I’m also looking forward to spending time by the beach and the water, enjoying some sunshine and outdoor activities after the competition days.
Outside of coffee and food adventures, I love exploring museums and checking out live music at night, especially jazz. I think discovering a city through its art, culture, and music is one of the best parts of travelling for me.
What are your interests outside of coffee?
Outside of coffee, I’m currently a postgraduate student in Applied Linguistics, where my research focuses on computational and quantitative methods. I’m really interested in how language can be studied through data and technology, and I enjoy exploring the intersection between linguistics, research methods, and digital tools.
Apart from academic life and coffee, I also enjoy watching women’s football. It’s one of the ways I relax and stay connected to sports and the energy of competition outside the coffee world. And of course, I also love spending time playing with my cats, and even taking them on walks.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
First of all, I want to thank my coach Duncan, along with my supporting coaches Khai and Hugo, for guiding me and pushing me throughout this journey.
A big thank you as well to the whole team at Cøffe, especially Lukas and Tufi, for all the support and encouragement along the way.
Special thanks to Michelle and James for their kindness and sweet support.
I’m also incredibly grateful to Sophie and the cats, for their patience while I spent so much time preparing.
Of course, I want to thank my twin sister and my parents for always believing in me.
And finally, a huge thank you to all of my sponsors who made this journey possible.
