Representing Proud Mary Coffee, Austin’s Jak Ryan took home the U.S. Barista Championship title this past June. Today, we catch up with him as he prepares for the World Championship in Panama.
BY TAYLOR MURPHY-DYER
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Jak Ryan
Jak Ryan didn’t expect to win this year’s U.S. Barista Championship. Weeks after his victory at the competition in Denver, Colorado, this past June, the Proud Mary team member is still adjusting to a season that, in his words, went “so darn right” that he’s half expecting something to go wrong.
We caught up with Jak about the whirlwind since his win, his background as a professional dancer and the theme of timing that carried his routine to first place, and what’s ahead as he heads to the World Barista Championship in Panama.
Barista Magazine: How are you feeling now, other than surprised that you won?
I’m still as surprised every day as I was the moment it happened. Surprised, but excited. Everything has fallen into place in a way that almost makes me expect something to go wrong, because I’m not used to things going this right. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful. It’s a surreal place to be.
Your theme this year was timing. Where did that come from?
Ironically, my theme from last year (the connection between magic in nature and artistic performance) carried right into this one. While exploring what creates magic moments, I realized timing is the one force that makes or breaks them, for better or worse. I was teaching dance one night and talking through the idea that you first have to observe timing, then cooperate with it, and only then can you start to alter it: Speed it up, slow it down, or stop it altogether. I thought that would be a fun thing to explore through coffee.
How did that show up in the coffee itself?
Everything in the routine tied back to observing, cooperating with, or altering time. I used a dark-room dried Natural, which was itself an alteration of timing, and a freeze-distilled milk, which was a cooperation with it. For the signature beverage, I used tropical fruits that left an impression on me during my time in Honduras. Passion fruit fermentation represented observing time. A clarification using plantains and honey represented cooperating with it. And steam distillation, which I’d used the year before too, represented altering it entirely, since it locks flavor and aroma in place and separates them out.
This year’s prep sounds like it didn’t go as smoothly as last year’s.
Not at all, and in a strange way, that ended up working in my favor. A lot went wrong leading into it. My table settings broke a few days before Nationals, so I redesigned the whole thing using shelving units from Home Depot on a Thursday afternoon. It wasn’t going to look polished, but it worked, and it actually saved me a few minutes in setup. Aesthetics have never been the Jak Michael Ryan special, and there’s nothing inauthentic about what I’m going to bring onto that stage.
After round one, I was unhappy with everything. Equipment was malfunctioning, people were going over time, and I realized it was going to come down to who could adapt best. I ended up running a slightly different routine every single day, making decisions live on stage to beat the clock and get ahead of equipment issues. I think not needing a script, not needing everything to be identical every time, actually helped me this year. Maybe it just came down to good timing. Who knows.
What’s fallen into place over the last two weeks as you start preparing for the World Championship?
I just got back from Honduras, where, in a blind cupping, I literally picked the same coffee I just won with. I expected the logistics to be the hardest part, and honestly it’s been the opposite. Every single person I’ve called has been more than willing to help. This is the most supported I’ve felt in my career, and it’s not just people here. I’ve got friends in Australia checking in too. It’s a transatlantic, transpacific operation at this point.
Who’s on your team for Panama?
I won’t reveal everything about who I’m sequestering myself with, but I’ll say the people coming with me are my best friends. What I don’t need on the day is coaching. I need people willing to have fun, be irreverent, and keep things light. Jason Yeo, who came in second at Nationals, is coming, and so is Jake McFarland. Funny enough, some of my toughest competitors at Nationals turned into some of my closest friends and support system.
What advice do you have for next year’s competitors?
It’s like learning an instrument. People assume I improvise everything on stage, but you can’t improvise if you don’t know your scales, your theory, your sheet music. I know mine, which is what lets me stand up and adapt in the moment. Be yourself and back yourself authentically, but pair that with the hard skills so your authenticity actually lands.
Everyone follows trends because they’re competitive and want a platform, and that’s fair. But I think competition is more interesting when everyone brings their own voice instead of copying what worked for someone else last year. The competition is more fun, and more diverse, when everyone shows up as themselves. And ask questions. Ask as many people as you can. This industry wants to see you succeed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Taylor Murphy-Dyer is a seasoned coffee professional, currently focused in education and competitions as a Wholesale Education Manager and Head Judge for the U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits competition. Outside of work, Taylor prioritizes time with her incredible family. Her creative passion extends to the kitchen, where she enjoys cooking, baking, and developing original recipes.
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