After an intense three weeks of online coffee competition, the Glitter Cat Digitition has reached its glorious conclusion. Over the course of the past three weeks, 36 competitors that identify as part of an underrepresented group took to the digital airwaves via the Glitter Cat Instagram Live channel to vie for the top spot in six different disciplines: Barista, Brewers, Coffee & Booze, Tasters, Latte Art, and Roasters.
But the glitter and 1s and 0s have settled, and we now know the winners in each competition. So let’s meet them all, shall we?
Barista – Rebecca Lespier
“With a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto™️ rimmed signature beverage and a radical redefinition of professionalism both in this competition and in her professional life, Rebecca is exactly the champion working baristas deserve. A plant parent. A fighter. A damn good barista. Congratulations, Rebecca!”
Roasters – Tio Fallen
“Tio’s brand, Color Outside the Lines was a smash with our judges. It was forward thinking while paying homage to the leaders who made this country better. And the coffee was damn tasty. Congratulations, Tio!!”
Brewers – Neichelle Guidry
“Y’all, how special is this? For Neichelle, coffee has been a creative outlet for just the past nine months and what she brought to the Brewers DiGiTiTiON was a desire to learn, intense dedication, and a warm and inviting presentation.”
Tasters – Kat Natividad
“Kat took us for a loop with a near perfect score of 8/9 in 5:36 on a coffee triangulation and syrup and aromatic guessing game that had some seasoned tasters stumped. Kat has a superb palate and sense of smell and fast ones at that. She won by two seconds in a squeaker we never could have imagined when we dreamed up our Tasters DiGiTiTiON.”
Coffee & Booze – Ziru Mo
“The DiGiTiTiON’s primary video editor somehow found time to create a truly astounding drink and food pairing in their Flamin’ Garden with mango chilli salad. They created their own orgeat from accessible materials, made their own bitters, and set their sugar cube garnish on fire. They did this all the while editing all 36 DiGiTiTiON competitors videos, making this whole endeavor a success. Our hearts are very full having Ziru in our lives.”
Latte Art – EC Fajardo
“Turns out employing your daughter as a pitcher rinser is a big advantage. This loving husband, father, and dog dad welcomed us into his home and taught us what it really means to be a bisita. His terrific, identical corgi butts and signature pour inspired by the Filipino flag were a hit with our judges and his humble and often chaotic home routine won our hearts. From feeling too intimidated to enter a throwdown, he is now a national latte art champion.”
The full videos for the Coffee & Booze and Latte Art competitions will be posted to Glitter Cat’s official website in the coming days. Congratulations to all the winners!
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
