As professional brewers of coffee, many baristas dream of ascending the heights of competition, besting their foes to be crowned theโ€ฆ okayest barista? Sure, it may not sound as glamorous as being named the โ€œbest barista,โ€ but it certainly sounds like more fun, at least when it comes to the Second Annual Coloradoโ€™s Okayest Barista Competition. Taking place next week at Huckleberry Roasters in Denver, the Okayest Barista Competition looks to find out once and for all (at least until next year) who is pretty, pretty, pretty okay at this whole coffee thing.

Corresponding with the start of Coffee Fest Denver, Coloradoโ€™s Okayest Barista Competition is a night of head-to-action, pitting two baristas against one another all for the deranged pleasure of judges Ryan Willbur (La Marzocco USA), Anna Gutierrez (Barista 22), and Omar Herrera (Cafe Imports). Competitors will have to be more okay than their adversary through five rounds consisting of latte art, triangulation, brew methods (random), and a mystery signature beverage, before the final round, a cortado evaluation.

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And for those less okay, there will be โ€œbeer, fun, and mini-games,โ€ with prizes and swag for the event being provided by Oatly, Department of Brewology, Cafe Imports, La Marzocco, Mahlkรถnig, Spirit Tea, AeroPress, Barista Magazine, Trade Coffee, and many, many more.

The competition will be capped at 32 entries, and those wishing to compete can reserve a spot by emailing pecos-cafe@huckleberryroasters.com. Total cost of entry is $5, but the event is free to attend. It all gets started promptly at 6:30pm on Thursday, June 7th at Huckleberry Roasters’ Dairy Block location (which is easily their okayest location). For more information, visit the Second Annual Coloradoโ€™s Okayest Barista Competition Facebook page.

Do you have what it takes to be okay?

Zac Cadwaladerย is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.

*top image via Huckleberry Roasters

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