February 2024: USBC
The latest in the barista friend universe
Hello friends!
After a brief pause, the Barista Friend newsletter is BACK, baby! 💃
Gosh, so much has happened since I last sent one of these… Back in January, I competed in the U.S. Barista Championships qualifying event in Houston, snagging 24th place and, therefore, a spot on the national stage in March. I’m crazy proud of the routine that we put together with such limited time and resources; a lot of heart went into it, not only by me but also by some of the best folks in Austin coffee!
Ultimately, I made the tough decision to drop out of the competition due to scheduling conflicts. Still, I wish all the best to the competitors heading to California next month, and I’ll be cheering you on from afar! Go get ‘em!!!
So far this year, I’ve had the pleasure of training some phenomenal coffee professionals in Austin and beyond. I traveled to Omaha to visit Cedar Creek Coffee to get their super cool coffee van ready for service this spring, poured latte art with Julian at Mercado Sin Nombre, got calibrated with the fine folks at Violet Crown Coffee + Wine Bar, and crushed the rush with Sa-Ten Canopy.
I’ve been doing much more B2B industry training than I thought I’d be doing when I started Barista Friend in October, but I’m having a blast! I also have some very exciting things in the works for my fellow coffee pros, so stay tuned to your email inbox for announcements 🙂
Barista Friend is fully loaded with springtime classes for home enthusiasts, and I could really use some help getting the word out!!! If you have time this week, would you mind telling your foodie friends about us? Share our posts on IG, upvote our events on do512, or just mention it to a curious friend or neighbor. Thanks for your support ❤️
I hope you can join us for a class this season, and as always, tastings are 50% off for industry folks with code BF-BFF13.
Upcoming events:
Honey Process Tasting at Two Hives, Sat. March 9: Out of all the coffee processing methods, honeys might be my favorite. Silky, balanced, and smooth, these coffees sit right between washed and naturals in terms of fruitiness and body. The drying method is most common in Costa Rica and Brazil, but we’ll be cupping six coffees from all over the world, roasted by the best in the biz. To make things even sweeter, we’ll finish with a guided honey tasting of locally harvested honey from Two Hives.
Chai Tasting at Likeness Studios, Sun. March 24: Tucked behind the Civil Goat on Guad, you’ll find a teeny little cabin soaked in natural light and filled with Codie O’Connor’s abstract paintings. That’s where we’ll meet next month to blind-taste the best chai concentrates I can get my hands on. You and your best pals will cozy up with sips of several chais, brewed hot and iced with oat milk, to explore a wide variety of sweet and spicy flavors.
Co-Ferments and Cheese Pairing at Antonelli’s, Sat. April 27: Things are about to get reaaal funky at Antonelli’s new education space on S. Lamar! At this pairing event, you’ll taste six co-fermented coffees paired with a curated selection of cheeses and accouterments. This will be an unforgettable sensory experience, and I hope you’ll join us for the adventure!
✨ New: Home Barista Classes
At last, the time has come! We’re super excited to host a few public espresso and latte art classes at Rising Tide and Brother Friend next month. Learn how to dial in like a pro, pour latte art, and do simple machine maintenance in these hands-on workshops. Check out our calendar to save your seat.
Prefer a private sesh? Cool beans. We offer in-home private lessons to coffee lovers in and around Austin, TX. Book yours today!
The last word
Since our last email newsletter, I started picking up a few shifts here and there at Proud Mary Coffee on S. Lamar. Out of all the coffee shops in Austin, Proud Mary is genuinely one-of-a-kind. Their concept is more like a restaurant; customers are greeted by a hostess who will either seat them at a table or take their takeaway order. There’s a full breakfast menu, a list of deluxe pour-overs ranging from $11-$21 per cup, and lots of fun coffee toys to play with behind the bar.
I feel fortunate to be part of the team, even if in a small capacity. They are champions of consistency, role models for sustainable sourcing, and efficiency wizards. I am learning so much! This company inspires me to reimagine what specialty coffee can be, and I hope you’ll come to visit me behind the bar and nerd out on some tasty bevs. I work this Thursday and Saturday 😉
Cheers,
Miranda