I'm sure many of you have seen the 2007 SERBC through various blogs in all of its glory and disfunction. Pictures and rants alike show it well. Unfortunately I didn't manage to catch what I considered one of the best parts of the whole weekend -- The Lounge. Ryan and Curtis's hotel room had a connected room that served as a hang-out for Counter Culture employees, teammates, and supporters. Here we met for breakfast, watched Family Guy, and detoxed from frazzled nerves. It's importance to me is subtle as it gave me a chance to bond with others in the coffee community that were not directly related to Octane.
I felt this same community during CoffeeFest Atlanta. That was possibly my first exposure to the coffee community in person, and it charged me with a desire to participate. Granted, CoffeeFest was designed as a trade show, but in the wings it facilitated dialogue and kinship. In this sense the SERBC, despite its obvious competitive nature, gave me a renewed excitement for the culture.
For my new and old coffee friends alike, thank you for the inspiration.
26 October 2007
21 October 2007
CHAMPS
At the SERBC in Clearwater, FL...
3rd place - Myself, Octane Coffee, ATL
2nd place - Ben Helfen, Octane Coffee, ATL
1st place - Lem Butler, Counter Culture Coffee Roasters
More when I get home, many pictures to come.
3rd place - Myself, Octane Coffee, ATL
2nd place - Ben Helfen, Octane Coffee, ATL
1st place - Lem Butler, Counter Culture Coffee Roasters
More when I get home, many pictures to come.
13 October 2007
certified = awareness
It's official. I'm Octane certified.
Along with JT and Ben, I took the final portion of the Octane certification Thursday night. It was a mock competition, and although the OC (you like that, don't you) only requires two servings of each beverage category, Ben and I ran through it under standard SCAA rules and regulations. We all passed without any doubt, becoming the first Octane certified baristas. January 1st marks the deadline for certification, and from that point on drinks will only be made by certified baristas. Along with this privilege and set of standards, Bossman Tony will reward his certified baristas with a tamper of their choice and a membership to the Barista Guild of America. -Yes!-
The final part of certification also allowed me to get a secure idea on how my training for the SERBC has evolved. I feel significantly more confident in the skills I've picked up. As someone that has never competed before, I feel that I have a firm grasp on what is expected of me and how I will perform. Much thanks to Chris and M'lissa for this. And yes, as being a part of Team Counter Culture and Team Octane I have a tremendous amount of support from every angle.
Octane is support the team by branding us (Ben and I). With the help of Stefan of Armchair Media (a friend of all of ours) and King Screen, Tony secretly made Team Ben and Team Danielle tshirts and stickers. I laughed too hard when I saw these, and it's a hoot to see the entire staff wearing them right now. They're on sale at the shop which is heightening an awareness of the barista competition itself. Customers are inquiring about what a barista competition entails, and even just guessing what it could be:
"So they just call out drinks and you make as many as you can in 15 minutes?"
Explaining that the competition centers around quality and professionalism is possibly hinting to our customers that we don't just slop bevs into mugs and stencil a leaf or heart on the top. Suddenly the customer understands that we've trained for months for the competition and studied/practiced our tails off for the certification. Who knew we cared so much?
"Oh, so it's like the Iron Chef of coffee!"
Sure. If the analogy brings you that much closer to understanding, then bring it on.
Along with JT and Ben, I took the final portion of the Octane certification Thursday night. It was a mock competition, and although the OC (you like that, don't you) only requires two servings of each beverage category, Ben and I ran through it under standard SCAA rules and regulations. We all passed without any doubt, becoming the first Octane certified baristas. January 1st marks the deadline for certification, and from that point on drinks will only be made by certified baristas. Along with this privilege and set of standards, Bossman Tony will reward his certified baristas with a tamper of their choice and a membership to the Barista Guild of America. -Yes!-
The final part of certification also allowed me to get a secure idea on how my training for the SERBC has evolved. I feel significantly more confident in the skills I've picked up. As someone that has never competed before, I feel that I have a firm grasp on what is expected of me and how I will perform. Much thanks to Chris and M'lissa for this. And yes, as being a part of Team Counter Culture and Team Octane I have a tremendous amount of support from every angle.
Octane is support the team by branding us (Ben and I). With the help of Stefan of Armchair Media (a friend of all of ours) and King Screen, Tony secretly made Team Ben and Team Danielle tshirts and stickers. I laughed too hard when I saw these, and it's a hoot to see the entire staff wearing them right now. They're on sale at the shop which is heightening an awareness of the barista competition itself. Customers are inquiring about what a barista competition entails, and even just guessing what it could be:
"So they just call out drinks and you make as many as you can in 15 minutes?"
Explaining that the competition centers around quality and professionalism is possibly hinting to our customers that we don't just slop bevs into mugs and stencil a leaf or heart on the top. Suddenly the customer understands that we've trained for months for the competition and studied/practiced our tails off for the certification. Who knew we cared so much?
"Oh, so it's like the Iron Chef of coffee!"
Sure. If the analogy brings you that much closer to understanding, then bring it on.
01 October 2007
I have recently come to realize that "taste in theory" does not always equal "taste in reality." What may sound completely delicious and mouthwatering may only be a result of the menu or server's expertise in the art of sensory vocabulary, or simply my own imagination.
Lately I've been dreaming up concoctions in my mind that sound so appealing I even dream about how they taste... but when it comes to practice time and experimentation, things aren't holding up. I was taking it personally at first. Not like the ingredients I wanted to work with were intentionally out to sabotage my performance, but more like a humbling experience for my mouth and mind. Apparently the two of those haven't been in the best communication my whole life. I was eating nothing but chicken fingers and ceasar salads until 4 years ago (now a running joke in my family). Once I began expanding my food horizons, I also had to adopt a working vocabulary for my new tastes and other mouth sensations that food brings on. Suddenly there was more than sweet and salty or chewy and crunchy. Who knew?!
So here I am four years later trying to decide a flavor profile for an espresso and accompanying ingredients to concoct an experience hard to forget. I suppose it's the perfect task... combining my imaginative and methodical sides to achieve a common goal. Who knew coffee could offer such harmony.
Lately I've been dreaming up concoctions in my mind that sound so appealing I even dream about how they taste... but when it comes to practice time and experimentation, things aren't holding up. I was taking it personally at first. Not like the ingredients I wanted to work with were intentionally out to sabotage my performance, but more like a humbling experience for my mouth and mind. Apparently the two of those haven't been in the best communication my whole life. I was eating nothing but chicken fingers and ceasar salads until 4 years ago (now a running joke in my family). Once I began expanding my food horizons, I also had to adopt a working vocabulary for my new tastes and other mouth sensations that food brings on. Suddenly there was more than sweet and salty or chewy and crunchy. Who knew?!
So here I am four years later trying to decide a flavor profile for an espresso and accompanying ingredients to concoct an experience hard to forget. I suppose it's the perfect task... combining my imaginative and methodical sides to achieve a common goal. Who knew coffee could offer such harmony.
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