Coffee News: Northwest Regional Barista Competition

Apologies for the absence this week. Southwest Missouri has experience a "Snowpocalypse" this week. If you want to see some of my adventures throughout my three days, go here, here, and here.

In Coffee News, last weekend was the Northwest Regional Barista Competition. The Barista competition is the most prestigious competition for Baristas all over the world. It involves making four espressos, cappuccinos, and signature drinks in 15 minutes. There are four tasting judges as well as judges in your face taking notes on waste, tamping techniques, and consistency.

Oh, and you have to talk charismatically and intelligently with the judges about your coffee you are using. No pressure.

With Regional competitions underway, everyone is watching and wondering who will make it to the US Barista Competition (USBC). The Northwest Barista Regional Competition is important because it includes the coffee-driven cities of Seattle and Portland. So the competition is INTENSE!

Robbie Britt at Competition 201. Kudos to Here

The Winners of the Northwest Regional Barista Competition Are:
3rd place: Laila Ghambari (Stumptown)
2nd place: Ryan Wilbur (Stumptown)
1st place: Samuel Purvis (Coava)

And the other finalists were:
Sarah Dooley from Espresso Parts (Olympia).
Robbie Britt from Espresso Parts (Olympia).
Tyler Stevens of Barista (Portland).

Image from last year on Espresso Parts

Robbie Britt (one of the finalists) used to live in Cape Girardeau, MO, and work for my mom's Grace Cafe. He was the first person in the whole world to train me on an espresso machine four or five years ago. I am so stoked he made it into the finals. Now, he works for Espresso Parts in Olympia, WA.

This is a classic "Robbie" look. Photo from Facebook.

He was also my youth minister growing up. So my first coffee mentor and my spiritual mentor made top 6 Baristas in the Northwest Barista Competition! Whohoo!

Kudos here

Also, worth noting, my former co-worker Jon Freihofer competed in the Northwest. He helped me with a lot of my training at The Coffee Ethic. I will keep you posted on how the rest of the competition pans out!

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I am a Barista

Pic by Koni

I am a Barista at a local coffee shop in Springfield, MO called The Coffee Ethic and have been for one year now. However, I have been a Barista for 4 years starting at my mom's cafe: Grace Cafe. Unfortunately her shop closed down two years ago, because Cape Girardeau wasn't ready for her coffee. She was ahead of her time.

Pic by Liz Church

Now, I am going to school in Springfield and work at the most EPIC coffee shop in the world: The Coffee Ethic. A year before I moved to Springfield, I lived in Bolivar and use to drive 45 minutes just to get a cup of coffee from this place. I really am living a dream come true!

Pic by Koni

Sometimes I am just in awe of coffee, the process it has to go under before it gets to a customer-- especially, espresso. It is just beautiful sometimes. The rich color takes my breath away.

Pic by Me

 I always joke that I do my best Barista work in my skinny jeans. You know just reinforcing the third wave stereotypes, but I don't have any tattoos or facial hair so I am already an oddball. ;)

 

Pic by Koni

My favorite part of being a Barista is the people. I have met so many great people in the Springfield community and from all over the world. In fact, today, I met a guy who rooms with a Barista in Dayton, Ohio and was told he had to try our Clover. Also, two Baristas from a Tulsa, Oklahoma shop called Topeca came in, and we had some great conversations.

Pic by Koni

The sense of community created in a coffee shop is incredible, and I love what I do. Pin It