Out Now: The August + September 2023 Issue

The August + September 2023 issue of Barista Magazine features World Barista Champion Boram Um of Brazil on the cover. Also inside: bubble tea; tips on working with your local service tech; private-label coffee; an interview with Lucia Solis; ’Field Reports’ from Addis Ababa and Manila; and much more. 

BY KENNETH R. OLSON
BARISTA MAGAZINE

Welcome to the August + September 2023 issue of Barista Magazine! Every year we get to feature the winner of the World Barista Championship (WBC) on the cover of Barista Magazine, and this year’s winner is no exception. Boram Um, however, is an exceptional barista. The Brazilian is the son of immigrants, and he has worked on his family’s coffee farm, Fazenda Um. He and his brother Garam are also award-winning baristas, and the owners of Um Coffee Co. and Um Coffee Academy in São Paolo, Brazil. Boram has represented Brazil three times at the WBC, placing higher each time he’s appeared. He has also been a Brazilian Brewers Cup champion. This year in Athens, while Boram was competing in the WBC, Garam was competing in the World Brewers Cup representing Brazil. We have stories about Boram and his competition team in the new issue.

Cover Feature: Boram Um

The opening spread from the August + September 2023 issue to "Boram Um Brings Home WBC Gold." Boram is on the righthand page with his trophy. Text is on the left
Brazilian barista Borum Um says he couldn’t have made it to the top of the barista competition world without his teammates.

2023 World Barista Champion Boram Um made it to the world stage three times in his competition career attempting to bring Brazil its first barista title. This year in Athens, he earned the gold. Boram is the first to say, however, that he didn’t make it there alone. It took a team to win the WBC. In addition to Tigger Chaturabul’s in-depth article on Boram in the August + September 2023 issue, we also have a contribution from Cole Torode. Cole, who is the director of coffee for Rosso Coffee in Calgary, Alberta, as well as the owner of Forward Coffee, is a national champion barista in addition to a highly respected coffee professional. Cole worked closely with Boram and Garam and writes about building a “Coffee Dream Team.“

’The Big Business of Bubble Tea’

The opening spread of "The Big Business of Bubble Tea" with illustrated cups of bubble tea.
Bubble tea has been around for a while but recently has been crossing over into the specialty-coffee scene with a focus on quality.

Boba or bubble tea continues to grow in popularity and offers an inventive and fun way to create more options for café menus. Writer Emily Joy Meneses looks at the history of bubble tea, how it fits in the specialty-coffee world, and what to consider before incorporating it into your shop.

’Expand Your Brand with Private-Label Coffee’

"Expand Your Brand with Private-Label Coffee" opening two-page spread with text or the left page and an illustration of a custom coffee bag on the right.
Private-label coffee can offer a fun and rewarding way to increase sales without investing in a whole bunch of expensive equipment.

Looking for a way to increase sales without buying a bunch of new equipment (and learning how to use it)? Offering your own brand of roasted coffee may be just the ticket for your café. Josh Rank talks with roasters and retailers about the pros and cons of private-label roasting and what it can offer independent retailers in the August + September 2023 issue of Barista Magazine!

’One on One: Lucia Solis’

The two-page opening to One on One with Lucia Solis. A photo of Lucia holding rich earth on a coffee farm is on the lefthand page. Title and text is on the righthand page.
Lucia Solis has been working across the globe to expand farmers’ access to information and fermentation yeast.

Coffee processing has grown more complex in recent years as farmers look to increase profits and roasters and baristas search for exceptional flavor profiles. One way to modify a coffee’s flavor is by using controlled yeast fermentation. Though the rewards can be great, it is a technically difficult and risky method. Lucia Solis has spent years educating coffee farmers on how to use yeast in their fermentation tanks and has built an educational network to support farming efforts. Lucia is the subject of our “One on One“ interview in the new issue.

And Much More Inside

Also in the August + September 2023 issue, you’ll find articles on getting your local service provider on your team to keep your equipment—and your café—up and running. Additionally, you can read our new column, “Inclusivity in Coffee,“ find fascinating “Field Reports“ from the bustling capital cities of Ethiopia and the Philippines, and much, much more.

Subscribe and More!

As always, you can read Barista Magazine in paper or digital format. Read the August + September 2023 issue for free with our digital edition. And for more than three years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.

You can order a hard copy of the magazine through our online store here, or start a subscription for one year or two.

About Ken 263 Articles
Kenneth R. Olson (he/him) is co-founder and publisher of Barista Magazine the worldwide trade magazine for the professional coffee community. He has written extensively about specialty coffee, traveled near and far for stories, activities, and fun, and been invited to present on topics important to coffee culture. He is also an avid fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Huskies, and public libraries.