Judging the NW Regional Barista Competition
November 30, 2007
I was fortunate enough to be given the
chance to be a sensory judge in the North West Regional Barista
Competition, in Seattle, at Coffee Fest, this past November.
The
competition lasted 3 days, the first round on Friday and Saturday and the
finals were held on Sunday. Three days of drinking espresso over and over
again might sound glamorous; however stuffing yourself full of caffeine
can weigh heavy on the body, but I ran it off, so no big deal. But I had a
blast and tried some amazing drinks from baristas all around the North
West.
The greatest thing about these competitions is not the glory for the individuals, but what it does for the coffee industry as a whole. It raises the quality bar higher and brings awareness to the world of what great espresso should be. It also brings about a community of baristas who want to teach and learn from each other no matter what their affiliation with whatever company they represent. It’s about building community and quality. It’s not about “My company is better than yours” and more about building relationships in the coffee world.
I had some great drinks that weekend and had such a good time. It was good to see faces new and old, judges, competitors and volunteers. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to judge again and do my part to help raise the bar for coffee quality.
--Shea Hagan, Quality Control | Barista Training
The
competition lasted 3 days, the first round on Friday and Saturday and the
finals were held on Sunday. Three days of drinking espresso over and over
again might sound glamorous; however stuffing yourself full of caffeine
can weigh heavy on the body, but I ran it off, so no big deal. But I had a
blast and tried some amazing drinks from baristas all around the North
West.The greatest thing about these competitions is not the glory for the individuals, but what it does for the coffee industry as a whole. It raises the quality bar higher and brings awareness to the world of what great espresso should be. It also brings about a community of baristas who want to teach and learn from each other no matter what their affiliation with whatever company they represent. It’s about building community and quality. It’s not about “My company is better than yours” and more about building relationships in the coffee world.
I had some great drinks that weekend and had such a good time. It was good to see faces new and old, judges, competitors and volunteers. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to judge again and do my part to help raise the bar for coffee quality.
--Shea Hagan, Quality Control | Barista Training
