My pal Sarah Dooley — who works with Visions and just completed the amazing Coffee Enhancement Lounge in Seattle — teamed up with some awesome coffee folks like Cam Kellett and Phuong Tran of Lava Java to plan what I’m predicting will be the biggest, baddest barista jam to take place in the Northwest EVER! That’s right! I said it!
So clear your schedule for next Saturday, August 29, for a full day and night of coffee activity. Classes include Sample Roasting with Chris Davidson and his Atlas peeps; Production Roasting & Single Origin Espresso with Mark “The Pfaffster” Pfaff and Perry Hook of Victrola; a PID Course with Adam Calver and the Coffeehouse NW staff; and an Equipment Course by Uber-Geek Michael Elvin of Espresso Parts.
All this will take place at the Coffee Enhancement Lounge at Visions Espresso.
BUT THERE’S MORE! You’ve probably been to a latte art smackdown before, but have you ever been to a dueling cities smackdown? Cuz that’s what’s up for the night of Aug. 29: Seattle (at Victrola) will go head to head with Los Angeles (at Intelligentsia). For a $10 entry fee, you get into this qualifying round. Then, over the course of the Coffee Fest Seattle weekend (Sept. 25-27), the final round will be held. The winner of this qualifying round gets the pot ‘o cash, and the top pourers qualify for the final round during Coffee Fest.
How the heck can you miss out on this? Here’s the low-down:
Saturday, August 29
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Four courses plus lunch ($35)
The Coffee Enhancement Lounge, 2737 First Ave., Seattle (visionsespresso.com)
7 p.m.: Latte Art Smackdown ”Seattle vs. L.A. ($10 entry fee)
Victrola Coffee Roasters, 310 E. Pike St., Seattle
For more information and/or to register, contact Sarah Dooley at sarahdooley7@mac.com or call her at Visions, 800.277.7277.
Oh, one more thing: Sarah hooked me up with a sweet discount at the Warwick Hotel in Seattle, and she’ll do the same for anyone attending the Jam, so don’t forget to ask about it!
