Baristas To Vie For World Championships

You can have your NBA play-offs, the SuperBowl, the World Series and other sporting events. But for many coffee lovers, the World Barista Championship (WBC) is not to be missed. Many will be glued to their computer screens with coffee cup in hand to watch the event’s live streaming June 2-5. So, even if you can’t make it to Bogotá Colombia this year for the Colombia Coffee Growers Exposition, which features the championship, you can catch it by streaming video. The 2010 contest is available now on their website. This is what to expect at the WBC. Competitors from over fifty nations will each prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four original signature drinks to exacting standards in a 15-minute performance set to music. A panel of forty-two Certified WBC Judges (four per each contestant) from around the world will judge the performances. The four drinks (one for each judge) will be prepared together, so they’ll actually have three different preparations to complete in the 15-minute timeframe. All of this is done with a smile and as much pizzazz as the barista can add to make his/her performance more special. Top baristas will tell you that more than just making a good cup of espresso, they need to excel in showmanship if they want to remain at the top. Indeed, the WBC is designed to highlight extraordinary professionalism in the coffee service industry. Says the Managing Director of World Coffee Events Cynthia Chang “This event is so much more than a competition, it represents the passion of an industry dedicated to great coffee, a sustainable supply chain, and the desire to continually delight customers." To learn more about the barista championships, click on the image above. To access the button to see last year’s contest and presumably the portal for this year’s event, go to http://www.worldbaristachampionship.org/ . You might also note that ROASTe is proud to be the online partner for the WBC this year! See more here http://www.roaste.com/content/Who-Will-Be-Named-Best-Barista-World . In honor of Colombia, here are some of our new Colombian coffees below!