This feature is a compendium of our favorite tweets, photos, and .gifs from Day Two at the 2013 Southwest Regional Barista Competition. Sprudge.comโ€™s live coverage of the SWRBC is made possible by direct support from Verve Coffee Roasters, and the entirety of our 2013 competition coverage is supported by our friends & partners at Nuova Simonelli. Weโ€™re proud to serve as the official Digital Media Sponsors throughout the 2013 competition season, with access and tabling provided by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

This work is a pleasure, a privilege, and a dream come true for Your Sprudge Editors. So with no further ado, letโ€™s explore Day Two!

17. Nicolas Lawson, Pressure & Profile, San Francisco

Nicolas Lawson, Pressure & Profile
Nicolas Lawson, Pressure & Profile

10:54 mr. lawson uses two coffees in his #SWRBC routine – up first is @SlateCoffee‘s Guatemala Ixil A’Achimbal, sourced by Atlas Coffee – this is the same coffee Timothy Graham used to place in the finals at NWRBC

10:57 the second coffee he’s using is roasted by Intelligentsia, hails from the CENFROCAFE cooperative in Peru, and is @FairTradeUSA certified

11:05 mr. lawson’s sig drink: “the warm reception”, which takes 1 part @slatecoffee i’xil, 2 parts @intelligentsia peru, & almond base – “a pillowy texture”

18. Sergio Arreola, Ritual Coffee Roasters, San Francisco

Sergio Arreola, Ritual Coffee Roasters
Sergio Arreola, Ritual Coffee Roasters

11:11 as always, giant crowd of @ritualcoffee enthusiasts, well-wishers and co-workers here in Santa Cruz to cheer on their competitor

11:13 sergio competes using @ritualcoffee‘s La Amistad espresso, a blend of coffees from multiple fincas in Huila, Colombia – learn more.

11:20 Mr. Arreola doesn’t just make coffee – he makes beer! his sig drink is like a non-alcoholic porter, with shots of La Amistad extracted to match those beer-y flavors

19. Devorah Freudiger, Equator Coffees and Teas, San Rafael, CA

devorah

11:31 Devorah Freudiger is definitely a fan favorite here at SWRBC – we went gaga for her routine last year, really looking forward to this one today

11:34 Ms. Freudiger competes usingย Equator Coffee’s Ecuador El Batan – the folks at Equator have a very close relationship to this project, including direct microloan financing at favorable terms, and an ongoing commitment to coffee purchasing. This coffee is Fair Trade USA certified – learn more.

Devorah Freudiger, Equator Coffees and Teas
Devorah Freudiger, Equator Coffees and Teas

11:39 “it’s the role of the barista & roaster to honestly represent the flavors intrinsic in coffee” – Devorah’s espresso shots are noted as having “soft florals, stone fruit, on a bed of sweet, sweet caramel”

11:41 two distinct sig drinks from Devorah, both taking honey and pear, just VERY different kinds of honey and pear. drink one: coffee blossom honey from El Batan, d’anjou pear juice, sparkling water. drink two: bosc pear, “smokey” italian chestnut honey.

20. Truman Severson, Portola Coffee Lab, Costa Mesa, CA

science

11:49 Truman Severson basically has like a coffee meth lab on stage here at SWRBC. it’s some #BreakingBad realness (see above .gif) – read more about the experimental service methods Mr. Severson employs at his sit-down coffee bar, Theorem, in this feature from September 2012.ย 

11:54 Mr. Severson competes using a “coffee colloquially referred to” as Ethiopia Worka – a washing station in the Gedeo Zone – roasted by Portola Coffee Lab. Espresso yields “lovely cedar aroma, electric blueberry, playful peach”

11:56 man that meth lab bubbler tube is just bub-bub-bubblin’ away while Mr. Severson works through his #SWRBC routine…

Truman Severson, Portola Coffee Lab
Truman Severson, Portola Coffee Lab

11:59 rapping along to his biggie remix…@trmnsvrsn a pretty darn cool customer on stage…

12:01 so that bubble lab is a way to “distill” his brewed coffee, leaving it “crystal clear and wonderfully sweet” – sig drink takes this distilled coffee and adds to it blueberry syrup and ice cubes infused w/ cedar. “elegant & complex, playful & a little rambunctious”

21. Andrew Villa, Bellano Coffee, Santa Clara, CA

Andrew Villa, Bellano Coffee
Andrew Villa, Bellano Coffee

12:15 mr. villa competes using a @Vervecoffee El Salvador La Montilla, a coffee co-bought by Verve & @BellanoCoffee

12:16 espresso notes: “bakers chocolate, hint of stout, & dryness in the finish”

aeropress

advert but first coffee cookbook now available

 

12:17 cappuccinos are offered to the judges with notes of “creamed honey & milk chocolate” – this is the most popular drink at Mr. Villa’s cafe.

22. John Martin, Intelligentsia Coffee, Pasadena, CA

john-spritz
John Martin, Intelligentsia Coffee

12:31 “pineapple, orange, maple, and a silky light body” – Mr. Martin competes using Intelligentsia’s Kenya Kangocho – learn more, take some home, sure why not.

12:36 did you guys know there was a soundtrack to the movie “drive”, and this soundtrack is popular amongst barista competitors? it’s true!

12:40 sig drink: espresso, coconut water, orange blossom water with honey, chilled espresso, tonic water

23. Christine Johnson, Handsome Coffee Roasters, Los Angeles

handsome12:49 Ms. Johnson competes using 2 distinct coffees from Handsome – Ethiopia Limu and a Brazil Samambaia – combined to form Handsome’s Dandy Espresso blend. Learn more here.

12:50 on her espresso: “blueberry notes, buttery toast, herbal black tea” – “I prepare this espresso roughly 15 feet away from where it’s roasted.”

12:55 that moment when the competitor can’t help it, and starts mouthing along the words to their music…”Suit & Tie”, “Girl On Fire”, etc etc…

24. Kevin Bohlin, St. Frank Coffee, San Francisco

kevin-bohlin

1:07 Mr. Bohlin is about to open a brand new cafe in San Francisco, which will have a close relationship with Ritual Coffee Roasters – we broke the story on Sprudge just a few days ago! Read here for more.

1:09 mr. bohlin competes using a Honduran coffee roasted by @RitualCoffee – the La Pinona, which you can read lots more about here via Ritual. This coffee is of the Pacas variety, which in Tex’s hands makes for “light & fluffy” capps.

1:11 Tex actually traveled to La Pinon in Honduras, set up an espresso machine, and provided espresso service to the farmer who grew this coffee. “it was the most significant and meaningful coffee service of my life”

1:15 he’s so professional on stage – does all that economy of music stuff we’re always ranting about. fun to watch.

25. Michelle Powell, Companion Bakery, Santa Cruz

Michelle Powell, Companion Bakery
Michelle Powell, Companion Bakery

1:29 Michelle Powell competes using Blue Bottle Coffee’s Ethiopia Nekisse – learn more.

1:30 ms. powell’s espressos: “blackberry, malt, & lemon meringue finish” – #swrbc – capps taste like a “cozy blackberry milkshake”

1:37 ms. powell’s sig drink: “combine two classic espresso drinks into something different” – blackberry simple syrup, hot water, espresso, unsweetened cinnamon whipped cream, nutmeg

26. Ryan Redden, Portola Coffee Lab, Costa Mesa, CA

dryice

1:48 “pardon me, i’m incredibly nervous – this is my first time competing” – ryan redden, @portolacoffee, owning his newbness at #SWRBC, with a giant liquid nitrogen tank on stage

1:50 mr. redden competes using a naturally processed Pacamara coffee from El Salvador – Finca Santa Margarita, roasted by Portola Coffee Lab.

1:52 mr. redden is the 1st competitor we’ve seen acknowledge the “coming coffee emergency” at origin -roya, or coffee rust – one way to combat roya is by continuing to buy coffees from affected farms as they become more expensive.

icecream

1:57 “i am a sensationalist. i’m here to excite you about coffee.” – mr. redden’s sig drink includes liquid nitrogen ice cream made live on stage, a trick that @portolacoffee employs at Theorem.

1:59 mr. redden’s sig drink: an affogatto, w/ honeydew melon liquid nitrogen ice cream – you affogatto see it to believe it, people.

27. 1:55 Bobby Keller, Passport Coffee & Teaย  / Terra Java, Phoenix, AZ

Bobby Keller, Passport Coffee & Tea
Bobby Keller, Passport Coffee & Tea

2:04 mr. keller is preparing his sig drink simultaneously with the rest of his routine – a popular if difficult move.

2:06 mr. keller’s copper pot is bubblin’ up on the hot plate. he’s pouring it all through a giant metal filter…

bubblingbrew

2:08 mr. keller calls time at 15:48 – just 4 more competitors left here…

28. Stacey Kock, Verve Coffee Roasters, Santa Cruz

Stacey-Kock,-Verve-Coffee-Roasters
Stacey Kock, Verve Coffee Roasters

2:21 “I believe that fostering education is the most important thing we can do to grow the coffee industry” – Stacey Kock

2:23 I bet you there’s like 300 people here Mr. Kock’s late Saturday time slot…he’s a home town competitor and there are people on top of people here- we’re surrounded by throngs of rabid fans- Zachary had to burrow out for photos – if tweets stop tell our spouses we love them…

2:25 Mr. Kock competes using Verve Coffee’s Peru Ciriaco – a less than 1 hectare farm, VERY small.

2:29 sig drink: ganache, cream, maple syrup, espresso, pomello juice, egg white – “depth & complex sweetness”

29. Andy Kwon, Elabrew Coffee, Los Angeles

kwon
Andy Kwon, Elabrew Coffee

2:47 Mr. Kwon competes using @kumacoffee Kenya Gatomboya – cool to see Kuma represented outside of Seattle.

2:50 “citric acidity, heavy mouthfeel, clean & sweet finish – fully washed, medium roasted” – Mr. Kwon on his @kumacoffee Kenya Gatomboya

muddles

2:55 Andy Kwon’s sig drink: muddled raspberries & espresso, mexican coca cola, fresh lime juice, shaken with ice – caps his sig drink by adding raspberry pop rocks to the rim – dang dude.

30. Nick Purvis, The French Press, Santa Barbara

sam-purvis

3:04 Mr. Purvis competes using @VerveCoffee Konga Cooperative Yirgacheffe, from ethiopia – exempt from the ECX because it’s a co-op

3:06 nick purvis on his capps: “sweet vanilla, bitter cloves, hint of nutmeg” — on his sig drink, “bright citrus, clove, sweet vanilla, with a soft complexity”

3:10 “after I’ve discovered a coffee through taste, I have the foundation to share that knowledge with my customers” – Nick Purvis

31. Macallie Atkinson, Prescott Donut Factory, Prescott, AZ

mac

3:18 Mr. Atkinson is the longest traveled barista here at #SWRBC – Prescott, Arizona is 728 miles from Santa Cruz.

3:20 “judges, I know you’ve been here all day, and have tasted a lot of coffee…I really appreciate you.”

3:26 mr. atkinson’s sig drink: hot coffee & berry infusion passed through an aeropress, layered underneath cream

 

banner advertising the book new rules of coffee