Barista Competition?

This weekend, I learned what it means to be a competing barista.

Friday, I attended a great cupping at Counter Culture's Chicago office. I also planned to take my barista certification exam. The practical exam is structured like a barista competition routine: a high-pressure, low-time presentation that falls somewhere between a stage performance and a busy moment at a cafe. Even though the time is more than adequate for the certification version, I was not prepared for it. I passed my written exam, but I froze up during the practical exam, and, instead of making single cappuccinos (as the rules dictate) I made doubles, among some other glaring errors. So I'll have to re-cert, which was incredibly disappointing, as I was hoping to go home a certified barista.

Thankfully, the next day, I got a great consolation prize: I attended a workshop on barista competition (and so, by extension, barista certification) with the current US barista champion, Katie Carguilo. She performed her award-winning routine (this video is from the World Barista Championship, where she competed with different coffees than at the USBC) live, as we learned what competition judges are looking for.

It was great to spend nearly a whole weekend at Counter Culture's Chicago training center, to hang out, work, and chat with folks who know and care so much about something that I also know and care about.

Even as I poke around into other career paths here in Chicago, it's nice to move towards certification as a signpost on my coffee journey. And who knows? Regional competition is in January, so maybe I'll enter.

P.S. While the video linked above gives a good sense of the competition scene in general, this interview highlights the actual coffees that Katie presented during the workshop that I attended.