Curated tweets and photos from day one at the 2012 Southwest Regional Barista Competition. Coverage made possible by direct sponsorship from Verve Coffee Roasters. Stay tuned to Sprudge.com throughout the weekend for videos and recaps from the 2012 SWRBC.
Jon Stovall, Cognoscenti Coffee – Atwater Village, LA
“I feel like all the senses are touched in making coffee…but what does coffee sound like?”
Stoval competes with Fisticuffs Espresso Blend from Handsome Coffee Roasters with coffees from Honduras and Colombia.
Stoval’s signature beverage includes espresso, ice, chocolate ganache in a shaker, agave syrup, and orange juice made from melted orange popsicles.
Alan Gomez, Portola Coffee Lab, Costa Mesa, CA
Gomez espresso flavor notes: cinnamon spice up-front, citrus peel, transitioning into hibiscus.
Gomez signature drink: one to one ratio of espresso and water, served iced, with frozen extracts of hibiscus, citrus, cinnamon. Visually dazzling.
Olja Goolsby, Cibo, Sausalito, CA
Lizzy Sampson, Verve Coffee Roasters, Santa Cruz
“The more traceable the coffee, the better.”
Espresso flavor notes: evergreen, persimmon sweetness, notes of kumquat.
Competition blend components: Guatemala Finca El Injerto, Ethiopia Worka, Sumatra Lake Tawar.
Calls time at 14:45 – textbook finals-bound barista routine.
Jonathan Stauf, Top Dog Coffee Roasters, Morro Bay, CA
Competition espresso: single origin Costa Rica coffee roasted by Top Dog.
Nick Purvis, The French Press, Santa Barbara
“We believe that this beautiful fruit has all the potential in the world to be delicious and worthwhile.”
Sig drink focuses on apricot acidity, burnt caramel, heady body.
Calls time at 14:58 – two ace routines from Verve Coffee thus far – in a year of first-time competitors, Nick looked pro.
Eli Kalen, OZO Coffee, Boulder, CO
Macallie Atkinson, Prescott Donut Factory, Prescott, AZ
Annie McGee, Ritual Coffee Roasters, San Francisco
Competition espresso: Colombia Huila El Renacer—fully washed caturra coffee, dried on raised patios.
Molecular gastronomy influenced signature drink: most complex sig drink of the day.
Justin Carleton, Handsome Coffee Roasters, LA
Carleton competes using Handsome Coffee Roasters Colombia Huila San Sebastian.
A professional routine – simplicity vibe running through all the Handsome Coffee performances this year.
Scott Yost, Local 123, Berkeley
Scott Yost calls time at 14:45 – a subdued & smart performance, using three different origins from Four Barrel Coffee.
Ryan Plaza, Honolulu Coffee Co., Honolulu
Honolulu Coffee Co. is the former home to the 2014 US Barista Champion Pete Licata.
John Lee, Bourbon Street Cafe, LA
“So many of my customers are from a culture unfamiliar with acidity and sweetness in coffee – I get to educate them.”
Fermented brown rice signature beverage – among the most unique we’ve tasted all year.
There’s something so engaging about a personal routine – Lee brings the story of his family to his #swrbc set. Genuine.
Kayla Blowers, Temple Coffee, Sacramento
Espresso notes: tastes like “a Hawaiian burger”
“This is how I wish all coffees could taste.”
Jared Truby, Verve Coffee Roasters, Santa Cruz
Packed room here at #swrbc for Jared’s performance – hometown advantage, hometown pressure…
“Don’t write down your tasting notes for now. Just enjoy the clarity.”
Sig drink includes cascara tea and molasses – hands to judges: “For you sir. For you, miss. For you, sir. And for you sir.”
You evidently can go surfing with Truby tomorrow. Rumor has it Doug Zell will be joining him. 7am on the beach. Not making this up.
Alfonso Portela, Chocolate Fish Coffee, Santa Cruz
“Today, I’m going to keep it simple and share this coffee with you like I’d share it with my customers.”
Percy Ramirez, Intelligentsia Coffee, Pasadena, CA
“I wanted to bring you coffee as fresh as possible – this coffee was growing on a tree just a few weeks ago.”
Competition coffee: El Salvador Finca Matalapa Roblar
Ramirez cruises through a little early adversity (dropped a glass), finishing with time to clean and thank the judges – all drinks down at 13:30.
Jason Lenington, The Abbey, Santa Cruz
Jen Macias, Cartel Coffee Lab, Phoenix, AZ
Competition espresso: Guatemala El Diamante & Costa Rica San Luis.
