One of our on-the-ground photographers, Hector Coronado of Linea Caffe, shot me these awesome photos from yesterday at the Big Western ”which has just started Day 2’s action right now in L.A.! To watch the show live, go HERE! To see more photos of all the people, contests, and fun, go HERE!! Want the complete guide to all the competitors and the whole weekend’s schedule? You can find that right HERE. And stay tuned for lots more coming soon on Barista Magazine’s blog: right here!
2004 United States Barista Champion Bronwen Serna proves she’s a better competitor than ever before!
Bronwen’s pretty table setting.
Sam Schroeder of Olympia Coffee is a veteran competitor.
This is the third and final year of Nuova Simonelli’s espresso machine sponsorship. It’s anyone’s guess as to what espresso machine competitors will be using in the years to come!
The action was all on, all day, thanks in large part to the awesome emcees: Joe Marrocco (left), and Joshua Boyt (not pictured).
The Brewers Cup is the silent-but-deadly competition: not as lively as barista competitions, but the competition is just as fierce.
More beautiful Brewers Cup action.
Brandon Paul Weaver ”reigning NW Brewers Cup Champ ”takes his turn on the espresso machine.
The lovely Rita Kaminsky (right) is one of the competition’s most valuable and knowledgeable judges.
Sarah Allen (she/her) is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.
