Story by Heather Perry --- Photos by Daniel Mullery

Latte art by definition is “milk art.” When it was first introduced, the idea behind it was to create the ultimate experience for the consumer. Rich espresso, sweet milk, finished off with a rosette or heart. The design intrigued the consumer while the taste kept them coming back day after day. But today many baristas and cafes are only getting half the picture.

If you look around the industry today, you’ll notice a disturbing trend: latte art is being cheapened by bad latte art. I’m not referring to an off-centered rosette or a heart that didn’t quite turn out. In fact, I appreciate baristas trying to improve themselves and try new things. I know customers love seeing the growth in their favorite barista and watching the transformation. Instead, latte art is being cheapened by baristas putting a heart on a drink that has an over extracted shot, or milk that is too hot.

For instance, I have a wholesale customer who consistently wants further training on latte art, which in and of itself is a great thing. The problem is, every time I show up, they are pulling 10-second shots, and don’t even bother to change the grind. My problem with the concept of latte art is that too many people limit latte art to the aesthetic top of a drink. So it’s important to explore what we know as latte art, and what it should be in the cup.

The Endeavor

While many have stated that they believe being a barista is a craft, the definition I started the article off with really sums up to me what latte art and being a barista are all about. Latte art should be defined as the ultimate coffee experience for the consumer, uniting sweet espresso and rich crema with sweet milk and velvety foam, all topped with a beautiful design. Everyday I go into work, and I combine the skill of dosing, tamping and milk texturing with a creative idea, like running the new Bolivia Cup of Excellence as a single origin, or trying to get a double rosette in a cup. The aesthetic object is the latte topped with a beautiful design, and the experience is the perfect latte, velvety foam and all. I try to combine my skill and imagination to create what I hope is the ultimate experience for my customer.

We already know what latte art is, but it’s important to consider what skills are required to create it—and I don’t just mean a well-trained wrist. Correct dosing and tamping are required to pull consistently great shots, but more than that, a full understanding of what correct dosing and tamping are is required. Part of the reason I see latte art being cheapened is a lack of comprehension of what espresso and milk texturing truly are. There is also quite a bit of skill in the actual pour that creates the design. While much of the aesthetic design of the cup falls under imagination, there is no question that there is also a learned skill involved. Anyone who has taken a class from past latte art champion and one of the judges of the Millrock Latte Art Competition held in conjunction with the Coffee Fest trade shows, Chris Deferio knows the skill involved in pouring. The angle at which one holds the cup and the pitcher have a direct result in the outcome of the design. The size of the pitcher a barista uses, and even the type of steaming pitcher, does as well. But I really think it’s the imagination that determines the outcome of the experience, both for the barista and the customer.

The Individual

Art is really built upon the imagination of the artist. Now, the imagination of the artist doesn’t just determine the outcome of the design; it also determines how the design is perceived by its intended audience. What I’m referring to is the barista’s passion. A barista’s passion drives his or her imagination to create something new and exhilarating. It is what turns a barista skill into art.

Here’s an example. At a recent latte art competition overseas, a barista who spoke very little English was able to create the ultimate fairytale for three English-speaking judges using only latte art to communicate. The fairytale was complete with a princess and a fire-breathing dragon. Even though the competitor’s words were lost in translation, they weren’t needed, because the story, skill, imagination, passion, and art were in the cup.

Another example is three-time Canadian Barista Champion and former World Latte Art Champion Sammy Piccolo of Caffe Artigiano in Vancouver, B.C. Every time he takes the stage, the audience finds it impossible not to sit up and take notice. His reputation as a masterful latte artist precedes him, and the audience can’t wait to see what he’ll pour—and how he’ll pour it. When he won the World Latte Art Championship, he poured his drinks blindfolded!

Part of the imagination of the barista comes in the way they present themselves to the customer, and I think that may be the key to keeping the customer’s interest. If a barista prepares and presents the drink to the customer as if it is just another day, then it will be just another drink. But if the barista takes care to pull a great shot, texture the milk to perfection, pour or even etch a unique design, and then present it in such a way that the customer cannot help but feel the passion that was put into the drink, he or she can’t deny the art that isn’t just on the drink, but is the drink.

Want to become a latte art maestro? Then order this back issue of Barista Magazine!