Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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H O L LY W O O D V O LTA I R E AT T O N Y D I A Z P H O T O G R A P H Y skills as a coffee educator—and it's those professional develop- even consumers who love coffee. You don't have to be a coffee ment points that keep drawing me back. Each year I develop a professional to judge, but you need a desire to recognize what deeper understanding of the nuances of the rules and regulations makes a great barista. Judges understand that a great barista and become more adept at providing feedback to competitors prepares great-tasting drinks, is passionate about his or her and developing judges. Judging has made me a more effective work, and represents specialty coffee on the front lines. Judges manager and leader. And, of course, I still love tasting the most also recognize that baristas have technical mastery and are conexpertly prepared and amazing coffees. sistent and detail-oriented on bar. Judges are exposed to a lot of When I asked barista-comcoffee and must be enthusiastic munity veteran Michelle Foster about tasting it all. why she judges, she responded If you want to judge, the first that it helps her hone her critical step is getting familiar with vocabulary, increase awareness of the competition world. Attend her palate, and give baristas the a barista competition, volkind of honest and open feedback unteer at a contest, or watch that's difficult to provide in a café. live streaming or archived U.S. Nathanael May from Portland Barista Championship videos. Roasting, meanwhile, first Prior to certification, prospecdelved into barista competitive judges need to study and tions as a volunteer to be more thoroughly understand the rules involved with the industry. Why and regulations and know all did he advance all the way to the details of the score sheets. judging? "Judging makes me a All judges go through a rigorbetter trainer," he says. "It keeps ous certification class and my edge in knowing what to must demonstrate a thorough look for when training Portland understanding of the rules and Roasting customers. But most regulations by passing a writof all, it's fun. It is so much fun ten exam and a sensory test— to stand on stage with a great you'll be calibrating with other barista and watch that person judges and taking part in mockexpertly prepare coffee with care judging with more experienced and precision." professionals. Those judging the Volunteering to judge barista USBC must have already passed THE AUTHOR competitions can clearly boost a regional certification and your career in coffee. The opporjudged a regional competition. tunity to build relationships with other judges, who have a variety World Barista Championship judges pass an even more rigorous of industry jobs in different spots across the nation, is a unique WBC certification course. networking opportunity. Judges will meet event sponsors, conSuccessful judges are open-minded and base their scores on nect with Barista Guild of America members and leadership, and rules and regulations rather than personal preferences, but become acquainted with the SCAA. Competition has helped many they're also able to quantify the experience as a whole. Judges participants identify future employees or career opportunities. should strive to be positive, supportive, accurate and constructive Aside from networking with other coffee professionals, judg- in their feedback. ing competitions is a chance to work on the mastery of coffee. I have often returned from a competition weekend with a deeper WHY IT'S WORTH IT understanding of coffee's potential, a connection to a previously unknown coffee producer and a host of new tools to improve Judging is a great experience, whether you do it to connect my business. to fellow coffee professionals, drink some of the most delicious coffee in the country, refine your skills as a taster or become a stronger competitor yourself. Judges carry a lot of responsibility ENTHUSIASM IS THE MOST as they aim to accurately and fairly score competitors, and then IMPORTANT SKILL provide honest and constructive feedback. As a judge, my goal is Becoming a competition judge requires an interest in and to celebrate baristas and recognize the essential role baristas play experience with great coffee. Judges can be tenured baristas, in coffee's journey from farm to consumer. Baristas are central to barista trainers, café owners, allied equipment professionals and this industry's future, and I want to keep supporting them. freshcup.com May 2013 53