Latte Art Throwdown

We interrupt the Cake Show series to tell you about an event held at our coffeehouse last night.  We hosted Omaha's first Latte Art Throwdown, put on by Beansmith Coffee and sponsored by Barista Magazine and Espresso Parts.

Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte.  It is particularly difficult to create consistently (and under the pressure of a coffeehouse full of spectators), due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk.  The pour itself demonstrates that the the espresso and milk were prepared correctly and is the last challenge for the barista in creating the latte.  

Latte art is very difficult.  

This next part has not been scientifically proven, but it is my experience that latte art makes people smile.  It is addictive and a great way to measure the progress of a barista's skill.  In competition form, it has also been known to induce sweating by the barista and shouting by the gallery.

We want to say "thank you" to judges Paul Kulik, Jon Ferguson, and Jason Burkum and a big "congratulations" to the winners Simeon Bricker, Laura Clark, and Todd Campbell.

We were overwhelmed with the turnout of spectators and competitors from Lincoln, Columbus, Kansas City, and the Omaha metro area.  We are excited to be part of raising the coffee culture of this great city and are thankful for caffeine and your support along the way!

The winning latte by Simeon Bricker out of K.C.