National Barista Championship
The U.S. Barista Championship will be held this weekend at the Minneapolis Convention Center. At the event, each of 60 contestants who have qualified by placing in regional competitions must prepare and serve a total of 12 espressos, cappuccinos and signature drinks to a panel of four “sensory” judges, all in 15 minutes or less. They will be critiqued on taste, texture and temperature. At the same time, two technical judges will follow the contestants every move, docking points for “inconsistent tamping and dosing,” excess coffee waste or insufficient cleanup. A head judge presides over the whole nerve-racking process.
Because they have to drink 18 shots of espresso in 90 minutes, judges are rotated out in groups to avoid caffeine overload.
The barista challenge is part of an annual conference held by the Specialty Coffee Growers Association. The winner will go on to be one of 45 baristas competing in the world championship in Copenhagen.
The competition isn’t open to the public, but you can watch live blogging at: conference.scaa.org