2008 US Barista Competition
The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)’s 2008 US barista competition taking place this weekend (May 2 to May 5) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will crown the country’s best espresso chef and send him or her on a trip to compete in the 9th Annual World Barista Championship held next June in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 2007-2008 season honored 10 semi-finalists for the national event, each one being the winner of one of the 10 regional SCAA contests. They are :
- North West: Billy Wilson, The Albina Press, Portland, OR
- Southwest: Jason Calhoon, (No Company), Tucson, AZ
- Mountain: Jon Lewis, Long Story Short Coffee, Coeur d’Alene, ID
- Great Lakes: Mike Phillips, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Chicago, IL
- Midwest: Pete Licata, PT’s Coffee Co., Overland Park, KS
- South Central: Patrick Adam Pierce, Caffe Medici, Austin, TX
- Mid-Atlantic: Belle Battista, Aldo Coffee Co., Pittsburgh, PA
- Western: Chris Baca, Ritual Coffee Roasters, San Francisco, CA
- Northeast: Amber Sather, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Brooklyn, NY
- South East: Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee, Durham, NC
I will further report next week on the final ranking order and signature drinks that will most have fascinated the judges. We will then know where to plan a trip to over the summer to taste America’s best espresso!
