Over the last few weeks, members of the Barista Guild of America cast their votes to elect new members of the BGA Executive Council. Long lines were reported at polling stations across the county, and a box of ballots were found floating in a lake near Long Beach. But now, today, newcomers Alexandra Littlejohn and Cole McBride have been elected. They join incumbents Miguel Vicuna and Laila Ghambari, former chapter representatives, on the distinguished board of executives.

The Barista Guild of America brands itself as the most important network for the professional barista, and is a trade guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America. In a recent change to their code of regulations, the title of “regional chapter representatives” was eliminated. In a statement, the BGA claimed that due to the growing number of members around the world, it was decided increasing the amount of executive council members (between nine and fifteen) would prove more successful than individuals governing ten different regions around the country.

The guild, founded in 2003, provides educational services, organizes local barista jams, and also helps facilitate health insurance coverage for its members. They also coordinate a professional development summit known as Camp Pull A Shot, which has been held in several different places around the United States since its first year, in 2011. The next Pull A Shot event happens June 2nd-5th in Delavan, Wisconsin.

The Barista Guild of America Executive Council board is Daniel Streetman (Irving Farms), Trevor Corlett (MadCap Coffee), Julie Housh (World Coffee Events), Scott Lucey (Alterra Coffee), Sarah Dooley (La Marzocco), Noah Namowicz (Cafe Imports), Colin Whitcomb (MadCap Coffee), Lorenzo Perkins (Cuvee Coffee), Laila Ghambari (Caffe Ladro), Miguel Vicuna (Metropolis Denver), Alexandra Littlejohn (Verve), and Cole McBride (Visions).

Cole McBride tells Sprudge, “I’m excited and grateful to be elected to the Executive Council. I look forward to working hard with everyone to make the BGA the best it can be.”

The post BREAKING! Voters Choose Barista Guild of America Executive Council appeared first on Sprudge.com.

To promote and help folks train for the USBC, we teamed with up with Barista Guild of America NW Chapter rep Laila Ghambari, a team of certified barista competition judges, and a few choice sponsors to hold a series competition preparedness events. These “PrepFest 2013” events took potential barista competitors, judges, and volunteers on a whirlwind wild ride, all in front of our multiple camera set-up.

Audiences in Portland and Seattle watched as Laila Ghambari (Caffe Ladro) and Sarah Dooley (La Marzocco USA) performed a real-live authentic 15 minute barista competition routine. This was followed by a judges’ calibration like no other, as PrepFest gave the audience carte blanche to ask questions and get answers as sensory and technical judges went through the scores line-by-line. Calibrations are normally extraordinarily private, closed-door affairs; PrepFest blew the doors off that situation, offering a truly unique level of insight into the authentic judging experience.

We coagulated a ton of info from PrepFest and turned it into the Sprudge Pop Video you see above, which was filmed in Portland at the American Barista and Coffee School. Below you can find complete score sheets for each judge.

Scoresheet Scans (right click to download)

Sensory Judge – Phuong Tran
Sensory Judge – Heather Ringwood
Sensory Judge – Will Hutchens
Sensory Judge – Alex Pond

Technical Judge – Carllee Curran
Technical Judge – Nathaniel May

Head Judge – Marcus Young

PrepFest 2013 was made possible by Nuova Simonelli, Caffe Ladro, The American Barista and Coffee School, Visions Espresso, Espresso Supply, and by our individual judging volunteers and their sponsor companies. Thank you.

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Pacific Northwest coffee enthusiasts, lend us your ears. The Barista Guild of America and Sprudge.com have teamed up with some most excellent sponsors to bring you the first ever PrepFest, two evenings of barista competition insight and intrigue in advance of the Northwest Regional Barista Competition. PrepFest will be hosted over two consecutive nights, starting Friday, January 4th in Seattle Washington at Visions Espresso Service (2737 First Avenue South). The event will feature a mock competition routine from seasoned competitor Sarah Dooley, of La Marzocco USA. She’ll be scored by a team of certified competition judges, who will make their expertise and insight available to all attendees. The event kicks off at 5pm and goes until 8pm. Join us!

The second evening of PrepFest happens in Portland, Oregon on the following evening, Saturday, January 5th at the American Barista and Coffee School (1028 SE Water Ave.) Your mock competition performer will be Laila Ghambari, of Caffe Ladro (she’s also the NW BGA chapter rep, and has pretty much masterminded these PrepFest events). PrepFest Portland kicks off at 5pm sharp.

Following each routine, judges will give their feedback to the competitor in front of a live audience. Audience members will have the chance to ask questions and receive rule clarification from our competitors and the expert panel of judges, including Marcus Young (of Central City Coffee), a sitting USBC Head Judge. Several other qualified judges have volunteered their time for PrepFest, and we just can’t thank them enough.

Also, we get to be the mock MC’s, which is like extremely exciting for us, so get ready as your Sprudge.com editors channel their inner Heather Perry – “Let’s hear it for Sarah’s second set of cappuccinos!”

NWRBC PrepFest is made possible by an awesome roster of sponsors:

Nuova Simonelli will have their competition-standard T3 Aurelia on hand at both events, plus staff from Nuova Simonelli North America will be there to answer questions and offer tips.

Mahlköenig are providing a competition-standard K-30 grinder for use at both events.

Sunshine Dairy are graciously donating their quality milk products for use during cappuccino time.

Visions and the ABC School are donating their space and time, so let’s hear it for our host sponsors!

Caffe Ladro is hooking both events up with coffee for use in the routines (and also for your drinking enjoyment).

These events are free and open to the public! We’ll see you on January 4th and 5th  – learn more and RSVP on Facebook! Seattle event is listed here, and the Portland event is listed here.

The post SEA and PDX: NWRBC PrepFest Happens This Weekend! appeared first on Sprudge.com.

It’s been strange days so far for the 2013 United States Barista Championship competition cycle, with the kick-off event – the Northeast Regional Barista Competition – postponed due to complications from Super Storm Sandy. USBC regional action will finally get under way next week at the Southeast Regional Barista Competition in Atlanta, hosted by Batdorf and Bronson and featuring top barista talent from throughout the American south. Moments ago, Sprudge.com broke the news that dates and a site have been confirmed for the second round of regional competition, the Big Central Regional, to be held in Kansas City starting on January 18th and sponsored by Kaldi’s Coffee and PT’s Coffee.

Out here in the Pacific Northwest region, this year’s NWRBC event is slated for mid-February, and will be sponsored by Dillanos Coffee Roasters - more event details available soon. In advance preparation for NWRBC 2013 we were approached by Barista Guild of America chapter rep Laila Ghambari, with the idea of teaming up to create an innovative series of competition prep events. Sponsors and hosts have now been confirmed, and so we’re delighted to announce that we’ll be throwing a series of NWRBC prep events in concert with the BGA. It’s our sincere hope that these events will serve to educate and help elevate the level of competition at this year’s NWRBC.

The first prep event happens Friday, January 4th at Visions Espresso Service (2737 First Avenue South). The event will feature a mock competition routine from seasoned competitor Sarah Dooley, of La Marzocco USA. She’ll be scored by a team of certified competition judges, who will make their expertise and insight available to all attendees. The event kicks off at 5pm and goes until 8pm. There will be beer.

The second event happens in Portland, Oregon on the following evening, Saturday, January 5th at the American Barista and Coffee School (1028 SE Water Ave.) Your mock competition performer will be Laila Ghambari, of Caffe Ladro. The event kicks off at 5pm, and again, there will be beer.

Following each routine, judges will give their feedback to the competitor in front of a live audience. Audience members will have the chance to ask questions and receive rule clarification from our competitors and the expert panel of judges, including Marcus Young, a sitting USBC Head Judge. The goal for these events is education, fun, and an advancement of the sport / professional development exercise / whatever the hell these barista competitions we love so much actually “are”. Ooh and also, in a dream come true turn of events, your Sprudge.com editors will be on the microphone to fake-MC each routine. Let’s hear it for that first set of espressos!

NWRBC PrepFest is made possible by an awesome roster of sponsors:

Nuova Simonelli will have their competition-standard T3 Aurelia on hand at both events, plus staff from Nuova Simonelli North America will be there to answer questions and offer tips.

Mahlköenig are providing a competition-standard K-30 grinder for use at both events.

Sunshine Dairy are graciously donating their quality milk products for use during cappuccino time.

Visions and the ABC School are donating their space and time, so let’s hear it for our host sponsors!

Caffe Ladro is hooking both events up with coffee for use in the routines (and also for your drinking enjoyment).

These events are free and open to the public! We’ll see you on January 4th and 5th  – learn more and RSVP on Facebook! Seattle event is listed here, and the Portland event is listed here.

The post BGA and Sprudge.com Present: NWRBC PrepFest 2013 appeared first on Sprudge.com.

While many in the US are wrapped up in the Republican primary season, there’s a much more important election just around the bend. This is your last week to vote in the Barista Guild Chapter Representatives election, and you can access the ballot here. Voting is open to all BGA members, in all regions across the United States.

Here’s your chance to get to know some of the candidates: time you get to know some of the candidates. The editors at Why Not? Coffee blog have put together an essential interview for the NW region, and their assessment is blunt: “If you volunteer to be a leader I believe it’s in your best interest to communicate your leadership goals, outline a plan, take action and be held accountable.”

Here’s just some of the campaign promises:

Imagine a free class to BGA members where we have last years NWRBC come and do their routine scored by real judges followed by a discussion on the scores, the rules, tips, and open questions. – Laila Ghambari

The intrigue:

If I make myself more accessible on the corporate side of coffee while also admitting my shortcomings, vulnerabilities and what I can learn, walls begin to come down and bridges build up. – Anna Gutierrez

The gossip:

My home base of Seattle already has a well-established barista community, but given the huge number of baristas in Seattle, and many I’ve met have been in the industry for 10+ years, we have very few members. – Neil Oney

Read it all over here at Why Not?

Hats off to Why Not? for their excellent coverage. We’re eagerly awaiting the first smear campaign video…

The post Why Not Interview? NW BGA Candidates appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Andrew Brewtbart is a Boca Raton-based author, coffee pundit, and “leading voice of the Conservative Coffee Movement.” Writing here exclusively for Sprudge, Mr. Brewtbart has toned down his trademark liberal-bating, instead proudly bringing you a message of impending electoral opportunity for registered BGA members.

My Friends,

There is no season that stirs the marrow in my bones like election season. Gingrich? Romney? The villainous Ron Paul? I’m not referring to Presidential caucuses – kooky blasts of ca-ca, best left in the Caucusus – nor the Republican primaries – secondary at best – but rather, the pressing electoral decision of our time and age, presented before us on this very day. That’s right, America – it’s the BGA Leadership Elections, and they are now upon us.

The spoils: two (2) Executive Council positions, plus new chapter reps for the Northwestern, Western, Mountain, South Central, and Southeast regions. 9 candidates offering their service for the EC; a heated pool of willful entrants vying to represent the Northwest. You can read the full candidates list by clicking here, and you can check out some more information on the voting process and what these positions mean by reading this pamphlet by Scott Lucey. Your official ballot is available here, but remember! Only active BGA members may vote in this election. No foreign nationals, no former members whose dues have been in lieu since the victory of Mike Phillips, just the current and bona fide electorate.

Voting has now begun, and will run until February 17th. As the Kennedys used to say, “vote early and vote often.”

Happy voting, friends. While I shall endorse no candidates, I do have these words for you consider when going forth into the digital voting booth: When you exercise democracy, you exercise freedom; and when you exercise freedom, you exercise courage; and when you get this much exercise, I feel well-within my inalienable rights to take a day off at the gym. God bless America! In Brewtbart we trust.

-A.B.

The post Brewtbart: BGA Vote Happening Now! appeared first on Sprudge.com.

After five years, Jason Dominy is resigning from his position as chair of the Executive Council the Barista Guild of America. Jason posted a lengthy explanation over at his blog, and has been up to some exciting things at Batdorf and Bronson over the last year, selling over six hundred Coffee 101 Roastery Tours via Groupon and Scoutmob. He’s also busying himself with “Coffee Ambushes” at various spots in Atlanta (Adult Swim HQ, Fox Theater, Coca-Cola to name a few). The BGA Blog published a post thanking Jason for all of his work:

Jason has spearheaded our focus on larger member engagement, continuing to build the barista community nationwide. After nearly a year of serving as Chair, Jason has resigned his position to focus on his family and position at Batdorf & Bronson.

The membership and the Executive Council will miss Jason’s leadership and dedication. His enthusiasm and passion have driven his advocacy for the guild, and for the barista profession. This enthusiasm has been especially apparent in his efforts like the “5 Questions” articles, and organizing Manual Brew Downs.

With the help of Jason Dominy, the Barista Guild of America has achieved much over the last five years, including a comprehensive healthcare option for members, increased education opportunities, and the now annual BGA training camp retreat. It’s a body of work that Jason and everyone at the BGA should be proud of.

We here at Sprudge.com would like to give Jason Dominy a big old virtual bear hug. Thanks for five years of service and we look forward to all of the great things you have in store for Atlanta and Batdorf & Bronson.

The post An Empty Chair: Jason Dominy Out At BGA appeared first on Sprudge.com.

Introduction to Cupping with Trish Rothgeb!

Espresso Exploration with Bronwen Serna!

Milk and Latte Art with Lorenzo Perkins!

Introduction to Coffee Brewing and Extraction with Nicholas Cho!

All manner of certifications, lectures, and presentations to follow lunch! It’s an orgy of education, a bacchanal of brewing and bonhomie, a surfeit ragbagsaturnalia du espresso unrivaled by both Orient and Occident. The sun is shining, the freezing chill of the morning has burned off, everyone is getting sick, the camp food isn’t bad, and several people are wearing overalls.

We’re off to go see some classes, check back later in the day!

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If you lean your head against one of these bus windows, it will shudder and buzz and vibrate in response. The conductor instructs us in great detail on the bathroom facilities and his “honor system” cache of cool drinks and candy bars, available towards the front of the cabin. As the coach cruises its way north, first through the subtropical canyons and concrete boulevards of L.A. (which part, I’m not sure of; where in Los Angeles is the airport located?), then through the rolling arid hills of the Santa Barbara Mountains, and I realize that I’ve actually spent more time in Mexico than I have in Southern California, and that this is the touchstone my mind leaps to for spatial contextualization. This was all a part of Mexico once; the thought I keep having, “this looks just like Mexico”, is not inaccurate, but there are more car dealerships here in California, more Chipotles.

Our journey from the airport Sisephyanly tedious, a neigh-endless stretch of transport up Highway 101, the travel punctuated only by a misstep at the Santa Barbara airport (we attempt to pick up more campers who flew in via SB, but no one is there waiting for us, and in the process our bus is gingerly maneuvered into a no-parking zone, in a construction area, and we get stuck, are forced to back out with caution lights blinking, and I almost want to clap for the bus driver when he successfully pilots us out of the mess, ass backwards, but nobody else claps first and I’m scared to break the silence in the cabin). Highway 101 keeps going and going, linking Tijuana with Port Angeles, Washington, running in a meandering set of switchbacks and elevation changes up Pacific coast, through California, Oregon and Washington state.

Eventually we arrive at the El Capitan campground. It looks sparse at first, campers outnumbered by tents, cabins, yurts, and lean-tos, but then as 5 o’clock hits the campers pour out of this cobbled assortment of domiciles and into the open evening air, beneath the oak, eucalyptus, and avocado trees. Warnings at the base camp indicate that we are in the presence of black bears, rattlesnakes, quail, mountain lions and deer (independent confirmation later expands this list to include owls, foxes, woodepeckers, chipmunks, and omnipresent yellow jackets, who are repelled by nothing, not even cigarette smoke or curse words).

Classes are offered all day, each day, but in the evening time, after 5pm…well, these sorts of things are inevitably social functions as much as they are are career advancement opportunities / training seminars / chances to commune with nature. (To be clear: Pull-A-Shot is indeed a wonderful opportunity for education, first, and career advancement as well, with no shortage of job offers being bandied about.) From an objective perspective, this social business is a part of the fun – sit in at the hotel bar during an insurance underwriter’s convention, or go backstage at a music festival, and you’ll find much the same. But for what it’s worth, the at-times insular nature of specialty coffee (its celebrities, its family tree) has been derided by some as an impediment to growth, a milieu that could very well ground specialty coffee’s otherwise rising star. Does a camp like this promote education and opportunity while sacrificing inclusiveness?

Such denouncements are accurate in their own way, but overlook the subcultural currency being openly exchanged among the campers, indeed, by all members of any cult, clique, or sequestered subgrouping. “Sequestered” gets at the crux of it; we’re all here, out in the woods, with nothing much else to do after 5pm but talk, meet, cloister, schmooze, flirt and booze. (Note: this ordering owes more to linguistic nicety than weighed importance. Were this listing a meritocracy, flirting and boozing would listed first, and as such, La Marzocco’s converted espresso machine beer tap (the “BS3) assumes the role of talisman, gathering place and divining rod.)

But – but! – a subculture it is, replete with stars, unknowns, entaglements, desires, delicate misunderstandings, the au courant and the inaudible. Not everyone knows each other, but plenty is known, and only a fool would observe this sort of conflagration and deny its overt joys and simmering tensions. The wider world may blink in wonder at the degree of dedication and fanaticism shared by the 150+ people out here in the woods, but far from being insular and selfish, the wider world are the ones who’ll get to sip & relish the fruits of this fervor. It’s the cult that aims to please.

This campsite is bucolic, picturesque, truly beautiful. The ocean is just over there, and can be reached in pitch black darkness. Barista campers are split into 12 teams and pitted against each other in a series of contests and coffee services; team names include “Kama Sumatra”, “Learning The Harare Way” and, perhaps most regrettably, “The Sprobama Administration”. There is an In-N-Out Burger 20 minutes away, in Goleta proper. There are bees everywhere. Last night’s festivities devolved into a drunken glow-stick fire walk, and a pair of owls have made their hooting home above the upper campground yurt clusters. We’ll be here til Thursday.

The post Pull-A-Shot: Letters From #bgacamp appeared first on Sprudge.com.