Brewing in Rhythm: How Gökhan Selamet Turned Science and Sound into Coffee

Gökhan Selamet grew up in Istanbul, a city where coffee is amazing! it is heritage, ritual, and daily rhythm. In his family home, the cezve was part of the furniture of life, Turkish coffee brewed almost every morning and evening. His first sip, he likes to say, probably came before he was old enough to remember.

GOKHAN SELAMET - Turkiye Brewers Cup Champion 2025

Though his professional path followed science, graduating from one of Turkey’s most respected high schools and later earning a PhD in Bioinformatics, coffee was never far from reach. What began with a modest French press experiment in his teenage years soon became a fascination with flavors, craft, and the chemistry behind every cup. 

That quiet obsession, nurtured alongside his academic career, eventually led him to the Brewers Cup stage, where in 2025 he claimed the title of Türkiye’s champion.

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For years, Gökhan had been on the lookout for good coffee, though it was mostly an experience reserved for cafés. Life rarely gave him the time to dive deeper. Then the pandemic arrived, shutting down coffee shops and confining daily life indoors. Suddenly, time stretched.

“I used to explore coffee more in cafés,” he recalled. “But when COVID hit, everything closed. That’s when I finally had time to read, to experiment. Brewing shifted from a casual hobby into a real passion.”

What began as small trials in his kitchen soon grew into a deep curiosity, giving him the chance to truly explore coffee on his own terms.

That passion eventually carried him to the stage of the 2025 Türkiye Brewers Cup. It was his first time competing as a brewer, but not his first brush with competition. The year before, he had coached Kevser Atmaca in the Cezve/Ibrik category at the World Championship in Copenhagen, an experience that gave him both perspective and confidence.

“For the Turkish Brewers Cup, I approached it as if it were already the world stage,” he said. “That mindset pushed me to take every detail seriously and deliver my best.” Behind him stood a tight-knit team, including Atmaca and Alireza Razzaghzadeh, whose constant feedback and encouragement kept him sharp. “We always shared feedback, motivated each other, and learned together,” he added.

At his core, Selamet is a scientist, and that sensibility spills into his brewing. Every cup begins with inquiry a process of questioning, experimenting, and reasoning through each step. “Science is my strength,” he explained. “I approach every brew like a scientist. Sometimes it makes things more complex, but other times it brings a lot of clarity.”

When brewing a rare microlot or a distinguished Cup of Excellence coffee at home, he creates an atmosphere that goes beyond taste. “I like to pair the aroma and flavor with carefully chosen music,” he said with a smile. “The sound complements the taste and smell, turning the moment into a complete sensory journey.”

For the World Brewers Cup, Gökhan turned to a Geisha from Mikava Farm in Santuario, Colombia, a coffee processed with carbonic maceration and washed methods, known for its vibrancy and depth. “It’s not the first time we’ve worked with Mikava,” he said. “Paul consistently produces outstanding coffees that perform well in competitions.”

The choice of coffee was never incidental. “I believe choosing the right coffee is the most important step in any competition,” he explained. This particular Geisha carried a bright acidity and lively fruit notes, layered with jasmine florals and an elegant, lingering finish. What drew him most was its texture. “I especially love the rich mouthfeel, it fills the mouth beautifully and adds depth to the whole experience. Its complex and layered profile fit perfectly with my goal to highlight clarity and depth in every cup.”

Equally important for him was how the story of the brew would be shared. This year’s Brewers Cup introduced a new element: competitors were allowed to use their own music during the first round. The change felt natural. “Pairing coffee with music is something I already do at home,” he said. “It’s not just about drinking coffee, it’s about creating a full sensory experience where taste, aroma, and sound come together to tell a story.”

When preparing his presentation, he wanted the judges to be carried into that same space. “The music acts like a soundtrack that guides the experience,” he explained. “It highlights the coffee’s mood and character, and helps the judges connect on a deeper, almost instinctive level.”

The choice of music, he believed, also played a crucial role for the audience. Since they couldn’t taste the coffee, the sound became a bridge, an emotional entry point into the cup. “It’s a way to share the coffee’s story more fully,” he said, “engaging not just the palate but also the heart.”

Every competition is first and foremost a classroom. “I always remind myself and my team that if we don’t come away having learned something new, it means we haven’t put in enough effort or attention,” he said. Heading into the World Brewers Cup, he thought he had already absorbed everything possible from the national rounds. “But as it turned out, I was wrong.”

On the world stage, fresh lessons emerged in unexpected places, from the subtle dynamics of brewing, to the way different paper folds influence extraction, to small adjustments that could dramatically change the cup. “These were technical details I hadn’t fully grasped before,” he admitted.

Yet the most profound lessons weren’t only about coffee. The competition tested his patience, endurance, and mental focus in ways that surprised him. “Competing at this level demands not just skill, but calmness under pressure,” he said. He credits much of his growth to the chance to learn from others, especially Janine de Laar. “Her top-level skills and deep knowledge continue to inspire me. Her insights challenged me to raise my own standards and broaden my perspective on the craft.”

Before the competition began, he gathered his team for a quiet moment. “I told them that I was very happy, regardless of the final results, because we had learned so much throughout the journey,” he recalled. The sense of growth they shared together was, to him, already a victory.

Away from the stage, he often turns to another passion: the drums. “It’s all about rhythm and timing, which actually fits really well with how I brew coffee,” he said. For him, every beat has a parallel in the brewing process, each second, each move, altering the flow of the final outcome. Drumming also helps him stay grounded. “It keeps me patient and focused,” he added. “And it just feels good to bring a bit of flow and rhythm into everything I do, including my coffee.”

With a background in science, Gökhan sees coffee through a lens that few others share. His training in physics, chemistry, and sensory science gives him a way to dissect brewing at its most intricate levels. “This knowledge allows me to explore coffee in more detail than most,” he said.

As a lecturer, he feels a responsibility to pass that perspective on. Teaching, workshops, and collaborations have become natural extensions of his work. “Helping people grasp complex concepts can empower them to improve their skills and their appreciation of specialty coffee,” he explained.

His interest goes beyond the classroom. He has begun working on academic articles, research that he hopes will not only serve the Turkish coffee community but also add value to the global conversation around specialty coffee.

Just as important to him is the network of people around him. “With talented teammates like Kevser and Alireza, I hope to foster a strong, collaborative coffee community in Turkey,” he said. For Selamet, the way forward lies in a blend of education, research, and teamwork, a recipe he believes can help specialty coffee grow both locally and far beyond. (Hudes Magazine)

photo by Alireza