I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am right now. First of all, simply for the time to write this post. Life is finally slowing down… Prior to the slow down, I am simply grateful for the outcome of the United States Barista Competition. I could not be more proud of the myself and the gentlemen that I was surrounded by in the final round. If you saw me during the finals, you might know how nervous I felt. My stomach was turning and twisting. Prior to competing I felt fine. Relaxed actually. Something about performing, doing my best, then watching everyone else- so flawlessly- doing their best, was the worst part of the whole weekend. Looking back on the situation, that nervous feeling was only a sign of how rivetting the final round was…
The new United States Barista Champion is Michael Phillips. Heading into the event, I’d be lying if I told you I thought I’d be writing that this year. However, nothing excites me more than being able to congratulate Mike. If you missed his presentation, you missed something truly remarkable. Mike used a coffee from Bolivia, and not only did he present the coffee well, but he showed the world that he is a great barista. Mike’s presentation involved shifting variables and using his coffee in ways that I’ve never seen a barista use coffee in competition before. For his espresso he pulled his coffee in a manner that would give it one flavor profile. Then Mike changed the flavor profile of his coffee to use in his cappuccinos. This could cause potential complications in his performance, but he did with poise.
I’ll keep this short for now… Before I go though, I must send out major ‘Thank You’s to several people… Including my Los Angeles teammates, Devin and Nick. Both have excellent eyes and opinions for competition. We do well in competition because we have each other… I’m amazed by the people who think we do well simply because we work for Intelli. I hear accusations like it’s because of the money, the equipment, or the time… No, friends, it’s the teamwork and our ability to be completely open and honest with each other that keeps us improving.
Much thanks really needs to go out to Doug Zell, owner and CEO of Intelligentsia. Doug’s vision for the company and what he wants it to be is what makes Intelligentsia such a great company to work for… and he’s done nothing but given us all a place to grow, learn, and flourish.
My girlfriend, Monica, is amazing. She designed and screen printed the menus I used in the competition. She is incredibly supportive and her patience is astonashing. She was that helping hand before each run-through… making sure everything had that perfect shine, and then she was there helping me at the washing station… Making sure everything was clean to either pack or move to the next round.
Kyle Glanville, Deaton Pigot, and Stephen Morrissey are all to blame for aspects of my presentation. Kyle is relentless in his critisims. He’s dastardly brutal and has had me to the point where I thought I was going to put in my two weeks notice… But everytime I bounce back and his ideas and thoughts sink in, I walk away as a better barista. Deaton has a keen eye… his feedback was encouraging and he never let us slip on our technical skills. He’d just tell me that my machine wasn’t clean enough… even when I was just pulling shots and messing around. Nick and Devin have been more open and wiling to acknowledge their help from Stephen Morrissey. I still feel like it’s something that I should be keeping quiet, but it’s true… Stephen is amazing. Just as a World Barista Champion should be. His ideas and opinions are inspiring and he’s got a lot of them to give. He’s loud and obnoxious at times, but in the end, he’s a great, more than helpful friend. Stephen came to give us a hand… and did it on his own dime. I can’t say how grateful I am.
Alright, that turned into a lot… I’m going now.
It’s been a long weekend and I’m about to enjoy a day of visiting the Chicago Intelligentsia stores, as well as, some coffee explorations at our Fulton St. Roasting Works. But man… has it been a long weekend.
We arrived Friday night, so we missed both of the first competition rounds. However, Saturday was packed with tons to do. I poured my way into the finals of Millrock, as did my coworkers. Then Michael Philips and Jesse Crouse worked their way into the finals of the Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition. Sadly, my friend Talya Strader did not make the finals, however, she represented both herself and her coffee well.
The Great Lakes was a tough competition. I wasn’t counting, but it felt like there were many more blends represented here than single origin. However, it was single origin that took home first place… and I am stoked to be able to call Scott Lucey champion.
Scott’s performance was light hearted and fun. It wasn’t too serious, rather, it was full of knowledgable commentary and wit. It was the kind of perfomance that someone outside of the coffee industry could watch and sort of ‘get it’. His coffee was delicious and I’m very glad it scored well. Kyle, as an emcee, mentioned how American espresso that is balanced really just tends to be kind of muted. Scott’s espresso was balanced, however, it was not that old school American balanced. It was bright and full, floral, and intense. It was an espresso I’ll remember for a good while. Oh, and what impressed me most was that Scott used a Robur. No timer, dosered. He had a small mod on the bottom, and he didn’t level the coffee at all. Cheers to that!
Scott Lucey, GLRBC
Jesse Crouse performed very well. Very relaxed. It makes me quite jealous to see someone up there who presents a coffee well, all while looking like they just don’t care. Devin Pedde has the same characteristic and both seem to do well with it. I also tasted the coffee Jesse used and it, too, was delicious. His coffee was El Mirador, a coffee from Santuario in Cauca Colombia. Santuario is a farm that is broken into different plots of land, each containing a seperate varietal of coffee. The Mirador is the typica found on the farm.
Jesse, GLRBC, 2nd Place
I can’t close this without mentioning Mike Philips. Mike certainly had the most innovative performance of the weekend… Possibly of the competition year. Competitors have used multiple grinders for seperate coffees before. They’ve changed their coffee for different beverages before, but Mike took all that further. For his espresso coarse, Mike dosed his coffee about 17 grams. For his cappuccinos he dosed his coffee at 18 grams, and coarsened the grinder. Finally, he pulled the espresso a third way to create his signature beverage. Not only that, but he used different parts of the espresso extraction to make his signature bevergae… Using the first 18 seconds for one component and the remaining for another. Mike also chose not to use his prep table at all. Rather he treaded the judges table like a bar. With two small waters carts, he kept all his serving ware and drink prep hidden from the sensory judges eyes. Well played, Mr. Philips.
Michael Philips, keeping it behind the bar...
A week from today, Devin and I will be leaving for Portland. I have more scores to post… and when I receieve the real list of GLRBC scores, I’ll post the top 20 scores of the 2008-2009 regional season.
Lil’ late for posting, but I’m in Chicago for the GLRBC and a little Millrocking. Kyle, Nicely, and I are all in the finals today. We tied. Competely. For 7th place to make the finals. WE scored a 48.6667.
More importantly, today is the final-finals of the 2008-2009 regional competition season. I hope to have the new top 20 posted by tonight… Including, the scores from the SERBC (Mucho sorry Danielle Glasky).
That said, it’s going to be another long day, two crowns going out… One to a regional champ, and one to a guy with a check. Stay tuned coffee world.
1. Nick Griffith- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 682.5
2. Devin Pedde- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 677
3. Ryan Willbur- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 668.5
4. Robin Seitz- PT’s Coffee, Topeka, KS- Midwest Region- 658
5. Amber Sather- AMS, Brooklyn, NY- Northeastern Region- 650
6. Mike Marquard - Kaldi’s Coffee- St. Louis, MO- Midwest Region- 641
7. Renee Teichen- Ritual Coffee- San Francisco, CA- Western Region- 638
8. Katy Duris- Murky Coffee- Arlington, VA- Mid-Atlantic Region- 632
9. Allie Turner- Murky Coffee- Arlington, VA- Mid-Atlantic Region- 619
10. Nikolas Krankl- Taste Coffee House- Newtonville, MA- 609
11. Clancy Rose- Cuvee Coffee- Spring, TX- Southcentral Region- 607.5
12. Jared Truby- Verve Coffee- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 605
13. Sara Peterson- The Abbey- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 600.5
14. Christopher Weber - PT’s Coffee- Topeka, KS - Midwest Region- 596.5
15. Alex Pond- The Fresh Pot- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 595
16. Jesse Bladyka- Cold Creek Coffee- Laramie, WY- Mountain Region- 595
17. Jeremy Sterner- Peregrine Espresso- Washington DC- MA Region- 594.5
18. Jordan Barber- Abraco Espresso- Brooklyn, NY- NE Region- 591
19. Kristina Marryman- Lava Java- Ridgefield, WA- Northwest Region- 588.5
20. Kevin Fuller- The Albina Press- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 588
It was almost a year ago that we, as a coffee community, began to discuss and get antsy for the announcement of who would be the 2009 equipment sponsors for the WBC. We awaited rule changes, details, and debated on what grinders should and should not be allowed.
When the rules and sponsors were announced, many raised questions about the final decisions. I made my statement, and I’ve stuck to it.
Now, with my first competition of the year passed, I think it is important to say a big thank you to the people at Nuovo Simoneli. The Aurelia, as we know it, is an imperfect machine. As is the GB5, FB80, Cyncra, Hydra, and every other espresso machine on the market. However, the people behind the machine is what sets Simoneli apart. “What is the difference?,” you may ask… They listen.
From giclures, to sight glass, and steam boiler level, this is a company listening and ready for feedback. The entire weekend, they were on hand, hanging out with us, listening and asking questions. They tasted our espresso and wanted to know what we thought of it.
I was impressed by Giani and his youthful energy. I think I might owe some competitors an apology, as we really couldn’t get him to stop telling people how much he liked the Finca La Maravilla from Guatemala. Several times, I found myself running away from awkward situations where he would be telling another barista about how great our coffee was. His support, however, was not exclusive to us, as he was there encouraging everyone.
Of course, the important part is how the machines performed over the competition. I competed on two of the three stations and found no inconsistencies in either of the machines. All 3 of my groups had a nice, even flow, and steam pressure was abundant and well balanced. The Aurelia’s being shipped from region to region seem durable and stable… as many people initially told us they would be.
We have a handful of competitions to go before the USBC and with all that ahead of us, it may be too early to make some of the evaluations that I am. However, I think this years USBC will be, from an equipment standpoint, one of the most even playing fields yet, and I look forward to a coffee (non-machine) focused event.
2008 Pre-USBC Top Regional Scores
1. Chris Baca 798
2. Heather Perry 773
3. Kyle Glanville 758
4. Billy Wilson 752
5. Nick Griffith 714.5
6. Drew Cattlin 702.5
7. Lemuel Butler 695.5
8. Ben Helfen 683.5
9. Chris Deferio 671.5
10. Amber Sather 671.5
11. Ryan Willbur 671
12. Pete Licata 670.5
13. Maki Campbell 666.5
14. Robin Seitz 664.5
15. Danielle Glasky 663
16. Katie Duris 656.5
17. Alex McCracken 655
18. Scott Lucey 647
19. Jon Lewis 637.50
20. Kevin Fuller 630
1. Nick Griffith- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 682.5
2. Devin Pedde- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 677
3. Ryan Willbur- Intelligentsia, Los Angeles, CA- Western Region- 668.5
4. Robin Seitz- PT’s Coffee, Topeka, KS- Midwest Region- 658
5. Mike Marquard - Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co.- St. Louis, MO- Midwest Region- 641
6. Renee Teichen- Ritual Coffee Roasters- San Francisco, CA- Western Region- 638
7. Clancy Rose- Cuvee Coffee Roasting Co.- Spring, TX- Southcentral Region- 607.5
8. Jared Truby- Verve Coffee Roasters (Comin’ In Hot)- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 605
9. Sara Peterson- The Abbey Lounge- Santa Cruz, CA- Western Region- 600.5
10. Christopher Weber - PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.- Topeka, KS - Midwest Region- 596.5
11. Alex Pond- The Fresh Pot- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 595
12. Jesse Bladyka- Cold Creek Coffee- Laramie, WY- Mountain Region- 595
13. Kristina Marryman- Lava Java- Ridgefield, WA- Northwest Region- 588.5
14. Kevin Fuller- The Albina Press- Portland, OR- Northwest Region- 588
15. Robbie Britt - Zoka Coffee Roasters- Seattle, WA- Northwest Region- 582.5
16. Micah Svedja- Kaldi’s Coffeehouse- St. Louis, MO - Midwest Region- 577.5
Notice, Jesse from the Mountain Region snuck in there with his score from their preliminary round…
With half the regionals over… and the 6th to be completed tomorrow, I figured it’s time to start posting a top-10 list. These are the 10 highest scores, thus far, available on the SCAA website. It’d be rad if someone could send me the scores for the Mountain Region… Also, keep in mind that this lacks both the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions… Not to mention the entire Eastcoast. Anyway, here we stand…
1. Nick Griffith- 682.5
2. Devin Pedde- 677
3. Ryan Willbur- 668.5
4. Renee Teichen- 638
5. Clancy Rose- 607.5
6. Jared Truby- 605
7. Sara Peterson- 600.5
8. Alex Pond- 595
9. Kristina Marryman- 588.5
10. Kevin Fuller- 588
It should be noted that I just received an email from Greg apologizing and explaining that he meant no disrespect. In no way am I holding anything against Greg. I am looking forward to meeting him, and I sincerely want to congratualte him for his victory as a result of hard work.
As I told Greg, my post was not to be aimed completely at him, but he set a nice stage for me to plead my case. We did not get where we are, as baristas or competitors, by simply having it handed to us. All three of us have worked to be what we are today, and for that we are proud.
Much thanks, first, needs to go out to those who have sent all the congratulatory messages to Nick, Devin, and myself. Though my competitive nature is left unsatisfied, I am grateful for the outcome and excited for Portland. That said, onward, to my initial reason for posting.
To Mr. Gregory Lefcourt and those who feel the same,
In a recent interview (posted here), it seems that somewhere you received the wrong impression of me…
“Three baristas from [Portland roaster] Intelligentsia won the three top spots. These guys have apparently been training rigorously to win the competition, rather than pulling a full day’s work. This is extra curricular for me. I am busting my ass on a daily basis serving 300 people. I am not saying these guys aren’t, but I just know there is talk going around the industry that there are guys who are not serving fulltime.”
First of all, I’m not sure what exactly Greg is saying here. Early on, he accuse me of not putting in a full days work, but then partially recants the statement, to where it sounds like he thinks I’ve only been working part time. I want to reassure you that I have been working 35+ hours a week. You see I have to. I am not paid to train for competition and it is for me, extra curricular. In order to keep up on my bills, I must work at least 35 hours a week.
Beyond those 35 hours a week, Devin Pedde and I are responsible for most of the training that occures in our coffee bar. Currently, we have around 14 people, all in different stages of climbing the ladder to become baristas. You see, at Intelligentsia (A Chicago based Co.) a barista is more than an individual who pulls espresso and steams milk. Our baristas are trainers. Our baristas are coffee experts. They teach home brewing courses, they lead in store cuppings, and to become a Barista, they take a 1200 point test. We too live and breath coffee.
My competition training generally occures in the afternoon. Typically, I wake up at 4 AM, I open the coffee bar, I leave at noon. I grab some lunch… maybe a quick nap, and try to make it to our roasting facility by 1 or 2 PM. I like to spend time in our training lab. It’s where I became in Intelligentsia Barista and it’s where I go to try to become a better barista. I usuallly end up at the lab unti either 7 or 8 PM.
The time I have spent in that lab has been very rewarding… Mr. Lefcourt, I do serve hundreds of customers a day… and many of them were there to see me compete. They took pictures as I held my trophy, and the next day, they were there to greet me and congratulate me. They like to make funny jokes about how Devin beat me… Best of all, they now keep asking when the USBC is going to happen. They want to know and they want us to win. They see me 5 days a week… and the other two, no one sees me because I am in the lab.
I do not regret a moment I spend practicing and readying myself for the WRBC. If I regret anything, it’s that I didn’t repull that first set of espresso in the finals, I didn’t steam those caps hot enough, and I shouldn’t have used as much ginger in my signature beverage. I might regret not beginning my practice sooner, but I do not regret any of the time and effort put into this event. I am a better barista for it.
So, to anyone and everyone…we will have the opportunity to meet in Portland, OR. I’m excited to compete in my home town. I’m excited to work hard, find a new coffee, and to get to know that coffee. I look forward to seeing all my barista friends and hearing all of their stories of late night practice antics… and if, in the mean time, you happen to be in Los Angeles, please come by, snag an espresso, and I’ll be happy to take care of you.
Now, I’m taking a week off of training to celebrate… and honestly, I don’t know what to do with the time.
