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Handpresso - and the lonesome cowboy.

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 24, 2008 at 7:57am

Watch for Handpresso at the SCAA show.

Barista Exchange Opportunity in Puerto Rico

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 24, 2008 at 6:48am

Hello baristas! My friend and past ABC School graduate has a very successful coffee business in Puerto Rico. She is opening her second coffee bar and is looking for a barista to come and spend 3 days or so on site with her and her staff. Here is the email she sent to me in regards to the exchange. Feel free to email her for more info, could be a really fun experience. - Matt Here is a picture of Enid (far right) and her staff:

Hi Matt: This is Enid Guerra from Puerto Rico. I took the Barista training couple years ago. I hope you remember me. I have a tiny but beautiful EspressoBar. In May we will have two years in the business. One of the best decisions was to take the course with you in Portland. I fell in love with coffee and I am living the dream. We have the best coffee in Puerto Rico. (you will have to believe me unless you want to stop by...). I am opening my second store soon. I know José Arreola since I am a National Judge for the WBC for the second year in a row. He is by far the most charismatic person I have ever met. The first WBC Judge Training was conducted in my Bar. One of my Baristas was third in the National Competition (this year). Another of my female Baristas was fourth. It was their first year competing so I was happy with the results. I am also highly involved with the Puerto Rico Barista Association. The reason I am writing is to know if you know a Barista that would like to spend three days in Puerto Rico. We are looking for someone that would like to come and spend part of the day in the bar with my Baristas so they could experience people with their same passion and dedication. There are not too many Baristas in Puerto Rico and honestly my Baristas sometimes feel they are alone. You know, I am the boss, it is not the same. In terms of payment we can agree in some type of payment. I am honestly looking at this as an exchange instead of a job. We can provide transportation and we can pay a nice Hotel. Also we will pay for all the meals and can agree in extra cash for personal expenses. We can also visit some of the best coffee "haciendas" in the island. Please let me know if you know someone that could be interested. Best regards, Enid 787-349-4561 email: baristaespressobar at onelinkpr.net

Espresso Enthusiasts invited to 2008 Canadian Regional Barista Championships

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 24, 2008 at 5:30am

Toronto, ON (April 9, 2008) Coffee enthusiasts from across Canada will be gathering to watch some of the country’s best baristas (espresso machine operators) at the 2008 Canadian Regional Barista Championships. Four regional competitions to be held in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver have been announced beginning with the Prairies Regional Barista Championship in Calgary on May 24 & 25, 2008. Masters of the espresso machine from around the country will be competing for the coveted title of Barista Champion in each region. Each competitor must prepare and serve 12 separate espresso beverages: 4 espresso, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 "signature" drinks of their own creation. Competitors have only fifteen minutes to prepare all twelve drinks and are judged on various elements including station cleanliness, taste, beverage presentation, technical skills and total impression by a distinguished panel of judges. A few weeks later, the Eastern Regional Barista Championship will take place in Montreal on June 9 & 10, 2008, followed by the Central Regional Barista Championship on July 18 & 19, 2008 at the Queen Elizabeth Building, CNE in Toronto and the Western Regional Barista Championship on August 15 & 16, 2008 in Vancouver, BC. The first place, second and third place winners of each competition will secure a place at the Canadian Barista Championship to be held October 21 & 22, 2008 at the Canadian Coffee & Tea Show in Montreal. The eventual winner of the championship will represent Canada in the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Atlanta, USA in 2009. Spectators are encouraged to visit the displays of the event’s sponsors and sample some of the newest coffee and tea products on the market. All the competitors will receive some great prizes for participating as well as valuable experience. The events are open to the public and admission is by donation to the CoffeeKids charity, helping families build a better life in coffee growing countries. In conjunction with the events, the Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy will also offer hand-on barista training for those new to the industry or those who want to perfect their skills. As the premier regional event in Canada, organizers are encouraging baristas from cafes and restaurants to sign up. The Canadian Barista Championship is endorsed by the Coffee Association of Canada and the WBC. The regionals’ host sponsors include Espuccino Imports, Espresso Mali, Zuccarini and ECM Espresso. Additional sponsors of the event are Gerhards, Monin, Oregon Chai, Ghiradelli, Jet Smoothies, Pacific Soy, Cappuccino King, Coag, and Toi, Moi & Café. Krups is the Canadian Barista Championship’s Host sponsor. For information and to register, visit the website www.canadianbaristachampionship.com or call Vida Radovanovic (416) 784-5210.

Late to the Party: Starbucks Pikes Place Roast - Thoughts

Posted by Jason Haeger on April 23, 2008 at 2:47pm

Okay, so I like the fact that their stores have taken on a new "Coffee-centric" appearance. I like the fact that the big bags of this blend have a roast date. The signature on the bag is for God knows what, and it doesn't do a thing for me.All of the huge bags I saw of this stuff (is it just me, or does their 5lb. bag look 1/3 larger than most others?) had a roast date of April 11th. Today is the 23rd, so the coffee should be reasonably fresh.Initial taste was carbon, wood, earth, and a little bit of an intense sweetness that I couldn't quite place.We kept hitting the short cup time and time again trying to place it. Trying to figure out where this coffee came from, and what exactly they screwed up. (this is subjective, of course, and it must be stated that I am calibrated primarily to light and/or medium roasts)The carbon taste. Obviously, the roast level is much darker than I care for. This flavor dominated.The sweetness was present, but fleeting. It seemed that it lasted for only two seconds before it vanished and the dark roastiness was all that remained.I've often found that adding just a little sugar can help inherent flavors to find a spring-board and make themselves known. So.. back to the condiment bar we went (the coffee and I). Just a little bit of sugar, mix it in.Okay, now for more tasting. A little sweeter, but there's now a bit of a mustiness. I couldn't help but think that it reminded me of post-crop green. I don't know why. This doesn't make sense considering the volume that Starbucks goes through. I wouldn't think they would even have the time to hold onto green coffee for long enough for that to be a factor, but maybe I'm wrong, or maybe this batch was just really badly stored somewhere along the way. Or maybe the reposa period was poorly executed. Whatever the reason, the green tasted to be of sub-standard quality, and I know it's not because Starbucks likes to buy bad green.After deciding to let the cup cool for awhile (this, after having added the sugar), we taste again. Two distinct fruit flavors. Banana. Peach.Of course, the carbon was still there from the scorched bean, and sure, the starchiness effect from the banana tells me that the coffee was internally underdeveloped. (i.e. - roasted too quickly) But this coffee had potential.There are times when I think I understand the Starbucks method of doing things, but there are other times, such as this one, when I really don't understand at all how roasting a what could have otherwise been a really good coffee in such a way that destroys the quality cup characteristics.Pike Place Roast is far from "the best cup of coffee I'll ever have had", as I have better on an almost daily basis. Best cup of coffee? Far from it. It benefits well from a healthy dose of half & half and sugar. For the average drip drinker, that's a good quality to have. For me, it falls short, yet again, of what could have been a great tool for educating consumers.It's a marketing gimmick, and nothing more.

Asian Barista Championship 2008

Posted by Hao on April 23, 2008 at 4:30am

Finalists for ABC 2008:(in no particular order)Australia - Mr. Scott CallaghanKoreaMalaysiaNew Zealand - Mr. Carl SaraTaiwanI got to the competition area late, so I didn't get to see the announcement for the finalists. My apologies for not getting the Korea and Malaysia barista's names.I got to see Scott's performance and it was great. He was obviously one of the favorites, and competing at centre table show-cased his presentation skills immensely. He attempted 4 different milk art for his capps - heart, rosetta, double hearts and double rosetta. His table was crowded with photographers! I couldn't get a shot of any of his drinks. His signature beverage had elements of orange juice, star anise, reduced rose syrup, ginger and was meant to be an after-meal beverage, layered in flavor and complexity. i thought he quite cleverly bent the rules by combining the OJ and something else in the blender, without any ice though, and effectively made a "blended freestyle espresso-based beverage." I don't remember reading any rules that states it needs to be an ice-blended beverage...More tomorow. Sorry I couldn't live-blog a la zacharyzachary style. It's my first industry event and I was busy checking the floor out.Later..

NEW StoneWood website ready!

Posted by David Fell on April 23, 2008 at 2:40am

The new website for StoneWood Coffee & Tea Co. is finally up and online. Please take a minute to check it out and let me know what you think. Go to www.stonewoodcoffee.com Thanks and keep brewing!Espresso Suscitatio Spiritus,David

2008 SCAA Conference Official Live Blog

Posted by Nick Cho on April 22, 2008 at 2:24pm

We've assembled a team for an unprecedented SCAA pilot project: live blogging the SCAA Conference in Minneapolis.Team members:Nick Cho, loser podcaster and coffeeshop ownerZachary and Katie from zacharyzachary.comTravis, a video-production specialist who made the murky training videosErin Meister, of Joe the Art of Coffee, as well as BIYNYC, Time Out NY and BUST Magazine... and Meet The Press Pot blogand a certain barista from the UK 8)Highlights:- LIVE ONLINE VIDEO of the USBC, in addition to backstage videos, and ongoing blog coverage- Video highlights of Coffee of the Year competition- video highlights from the show floor, skill-building workshops, seminars, etc.- blog-coverage from ALL OVER Conference- full-video of keynote address- interviews galore- and more!Gotta throw in a quick acknowledgement to Zachary and Katie for their pioneering work last year at the WBC, and Mark Prince of CoffeeGeek.com for having provided the best coverage of the SCAA Conference each year. We hope this new SCAA project will build on that work and provide more than a taste of the SCAA Conference experience to everyone who logs in.Stay tuned for more info! URL coming soon!

Espresso, Steamed Milk and ... Jagermeister. Why Natte?

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 21, 2008 at 3:19pm

So I was at a party Saturday night for a friends engagement and I had the pleasure of meeting Clark who, after some copious amounts of wine and great food, overheard that I was in the coffee business. We started talking as he mentioned he and his friends had a new coffee concept/cocktail recipe, and have started a new drinking trend revolution across the US. When Clark first told me about the Whynatte I didn't really take him seriously, as you can imagine, but the more I think about it, I am dying to try one. Jagermeister and a great latte ... two of my favorite things. :) I developed quite a relationship with Jager when I lived in Italy, back when currency was Lire, and the dollar was incredibly strong, I would pick up a bottle of Jager and sip it with friends before going out for the evening. Anyway, I wanted to welcome both Clark and Jesse from the Whynatte crew to bX! Already in the works ... having a bX meet up and incorporating this drink into the debauchery. First thing I thought of was the latte bong clip from Seattle after looking at their site. So it may be a bit crazy but who's down for Whynatte's in MN? I can only imagine one would tasted oh so sweet when prepared by Baca or another USBC competitor! :)

Dear Providence, You will love the coffee!

Posted by Gerra Harrigan on April 21, 2008 at 7:30am

In an old warehouse building nestled on the Providence/Pawtucket line a group of coffee folks got together to drink some Narragannsett beer, pull shots, cup and talk coffee. The first RI based coffee jam (to our knowledge) but certainly not the last. From the state who claims coffee milk as the official state drink comes the beginning of a coffee revolution.

Lacking Brains + Coffee

Posted by Emily Jacobson on April 20, 2008 at 11:42pm

I have never had a blog, but right now writing a blog entry on barista exchange is the only option. Why? Because I am in the midst of a coffee crisis. Well, not in midst, I guess, because I am currently enjoying a tasty cup of Papua New Guinea Kunjun that I picked up from Trabant earlier today. But I am definitely on the brink of a crisis here, because soon it will be gone.It is 3:20am. The first day of my KEXP internship is today and starting in less than two hours. I'm catching a bus to the station at 4:09, and I have not slept because I decided it wasn't worth it to try seeing as though I tend not to go to sleep until 2 or 3am most nights anyway. I have never been in a position where I have had to get up this early, except to catch a plane or two, and I haven't pulled an all-nighter since finals in college. I am not used to this fuzzy-brained feeling that comes from staying up all night and knowing that I won't be able to crash until... at least 8 or 9 hours from now. And during that time I will be assisting not just any DJ, but one who I have been listening to since high school and admire a great deal; I will need to do things right today. On no sleep.Which brings me to the problem, which is this: I have to be at the station at 5am, and probably will be continuously busy until 10 or so, and there is no place where I can get coffee that opens before 6. I am almost out of the coffee I already made, and I have no travel mug to bring it in anyway. I think I am going to be forced to stop into one of those 24-hour diners out of desperation, when what I really want to do is break into Trabant (and by "break in" I mean unlock the door with my key during closing hours) and make myself a latte with many, many shots, but thankfully I am not yet sleep deprived enough to think that this is a feasible plan. I foresee wandering around downtown in the dark and probably stumbling into the Hurricane, where reviewers on yelp have reported having the worst coffee of their lives.

Congrats to bX, 2000 members!!!

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 17, 2008 at 5:58pm

Don't send a lame Congrats eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Witness the Coffee Nightmare of 1963

Posted by 3d7lj1n4xxk7t on April 17, 2008 at 4:30am

This guy never left Mommy. *shudder*

Please pick up your phone right now, call your mother and/or grandmother and say, "Finally, I understand. I'm sorry--I'm just so sorry."

Link (via Boing Boing)

Post originally published by Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee.

Website preview

Posted by David Fell on April 16, 2008 at 2:58pm

http://tulsa.360ideas.com/preview/Restaurants/StonewoodCoffeeAndTeaCompany.htmlPlease take a look at the link above for a preview of our soon to launch 360 website, any feedback is welcome.Also, what have been your best most successful gorilla / grassroots marketing activities or stratagies??

Coffee Kids' 20th Anniversary Dinner Sold Out

Posted by Coffee Kids on April 16, 2008 at 12:29pm

Thanks to all of our sponsors and those who signed up early, Coffee Kids’ 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the SCAA Conference in Minneapolis is sold out. We look forward to celebrating two decades with everyone attending.If you weren’t able to get tickets to the event, be sure to visit our booth (#1241) in the exhibition hall. We’ll be featuring information and pictures of our with coffee-growing families.

Roasting Plant’s Javabot

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 16, 2008 at 9:59am

Found this article in Design News, and have heard of this cafe before. Interesting concept but I can see some components that would be up for debate, and may come off a bit gimmicky. Was curious what some other bX'ers thought about this system. (Excerpt of above article link)If Willy Wonka designed a coffee store, he would likely end up with something like the Roasting Plant Coffee Company in New York. Built around a complex machine that takes automated coffee production to a new level, Roasting Plant functions as much like a small factory as a retail coffee shop. Coffee beans travel overhead in pneumatic tubes, whooshing between storage bins, a roasting station, a grinder and a brewing machine. You can learn more about the company on their website.

Win Tickets to SCAA 2008

Posted by Imbibe Magazine on April 16, 2008 at 8:33am

All our Barista Exchange buddies know all about the SCAA show in Minneapolis, but if you don't have conference passes and would like to go, comment here for your chance to win:http://imbibemagazine.blogspot.com/2008/04/win-tickets-to-coffee-mecca-in.html

Kenya AA

Posted by Jim on April 15, 2008 at 9:04am

I roasted some Kenya AA this week-end. It really roasted nice. I will be trying it real soon. I also roasted a small amount darker for an espresso.

Finished!!!! (dances round room madly)

Posted by Bel Townsend on April 14, 2008 at 9:49am

Hey everyone,this is a bit of a cop-out blog post, but I thought I'd publicise today's Happy Thought.I HAVE FINISHED MY UPGRADE PAPER!!Wuju!!I am currently registered as an MPhil student at university, and in order to be upgraded to PhD, I had to write an enormous paper, explaining exactly what I want to do in my research, and why I want to do it, and why it's remotely interesting to anybody else. Mine is all about the coffee industry. 4500 words DONE. YAY!A few people on here have expressed an interest in my research before, so if anyone wants to have a look at it, send me a message. It's a bit academic, obviously, and I don't want to publish it on here cos I'd bore everyone to tears, but if anyone wants to have a look, I'll happily email it to you.Off for Wine now (I love coffee but not for celebrations...)

April's Informal Barista Jam! With Pics!

Posted by Jason Dominy on April 13, 2008 at 3:00pm

Well, the second Dilworth Coffee Informal Barista Jam is in the books, and it was another success. We had a great turnout, and even with quite a few people who couldn't make it. We had about 15 people, and it really seemed like alot of people were picking some good stuff up. I started out by going over cleaning the espresso machine, with backflushing and grouphead cleaning. From there, we went into latte art, followed up by an all out jam. There were many levels represented, but overall, I feel like everyone got something out of it. And it was really cool to see different people from three of our Dilworth Coffee shops in attendance, including two owners. A great success, but the one I am the most excited about is next months. I am not going to reveal it yet, suffice to say it's gonna be awesome. Like nothing else around here, that's for sure.Here's the pics from tonight's jam: (You'll have to cut and paste and put in your browser address bar)http://gallery.mac.com/jasonandapril#100169&view=carouseljs&sel=0

Northeast Regional Barista Competition Finalists

Posted by Matt Milletto on April 12, 2008 at 5:39am

I am bummed to be here on the left coast, not in attendance of the NERBC, but and trying to follow along with this weekends events. Yesterday was the semi-finals, 26 competitors I believe. Last night was the official bX meet up and dance party in Ithaca, and I am waiting to hear how everything went, hopefully some photos too. The finalists are: Chris Ganger (Ithaca Coffee Co) Lance Nichols (Gimme! Coffee) Jay Murdock (Cafe Grumpy) Chris Deferio (Carriage House Cafe) Katie Carguilo (Counter Culture Coffee) Amber Sather (Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea) Check out Liz Clayton's blog for more up to minute details from the event. Good luck to everyone competing today and I'll post more later. - Matt

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