This past weekend found the wife and I in Atlanta to help out with the Skill Building Workshop. I volunteered as a station instructor in the espresso labs headed up by the incredible, the legendary Ellie Matuszak. Nick from Stockton Graham helped out, as well as David LaMont, from Counter Culture-Atlanta. (On a side note, David used to frequent the coffeehouse I ran in downtown Athens, GA.) These workshops cover Intro to Espresso and Hands-On Espresso, and I highly recommend them for anyone beginner to intermediate. They are a great resource that give you the building blocks you need to be successful making quality espresso everyday. There were people there from Pittsburgh, Colorado, New York, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and several other places I can't remember.
Whilest there, I visited a couple of cool shops, one I have been to before, one a new one. I went to Octane, one of my favorite shops out there hands-down. What they do is so cool, it should come with gloves to keep your hands from frostbite. Plus, I walk in the door, and who do I see? Millrock Latte Art Champion Ben Helfen and last month's Barista Magazine covergirl M'lissa Muckerman. The Dynamic Duo. So, I got one of M'lissa's kick-butt lattes, emblazoned with art from above, and we shot the crap while I drank up. These really are some of the nicest, coolest people in coffee, and it was great to see them there.
I also got to see newcomer Loren Anthony's shop Breueklyn Mojo. It's a great family run shop that has a great vibe. Loren's one of the most cheerful people, and they have a really cool thing going there. She's a graduate of ABC, and poured a great rosetta in a paper cup. It was great to see her and hang out, and I hope you can get out to her shop if you're in Atlanta.
Here's a few pics from the trip. Enjoy.