Out Now: The October + November 2023 Issue

The October + November 2023 issue of Barista Magazine features Angie Evans and Kat McIver from Wide Eyes Open Palms in Long Beach, Calif., on the cover. Also inside: automatic vs. analog, ’High Maintenance,’ ’Inclusivity in Coffee,’ wine & coffee fermentation; an interview with Will Frith; ’Field Reports’ from Bordeaux and Vancouver, Wash.; and much more. 

BY KENNETH R. OLSON
BARISTA MAGAZINE

Welcome to the October + November 2023 issue of Barista Magazine! Once again, the Barista Magazine team of writers, artists, editors, and more put together a terrific issue packed with feature stories, informative articles, and worthwhile reading. I hope you have a chance to sit down and leaf through a copy of our latest issue (either in print or virtually with our digital edition) and enjoy some of the great work this talented team did.

Cover Feature: Angie Evans and Kat McIver

Two-page spread of the cover feature on Kat McIver and Angie Evans of the October + November 2023 issue.
Angie Evans and Kat McIver started Wide Eyes Open Palms to fuse their strengths from their backgrounds in coffee and food.

Wide Eyes Open Palms is a place that welcomes everyone in. The Long Beach, Calif., location is a small space, but it’s full of life thanks to co-owners Angie Evans and Kat McIver. Confronted with a male-dominated industry, Angie—who oversees coffee at the shop—and Kat, the resident chef, took matters into their own hands to create a space that is as high quality in product and service as it is welcoming and inclusive.

’Auto/Analog? Industry Perspectives on Café Automation’

Two-page spread of Auto/Analog article with an illustration on the left of a human/robot barista
Are the robots coming for your job?

The hype over AI has been everywhere lately, with its seemingly omnivorous reach touching all aspects of businesses. Even without AI, though, automation has been increasing in cafés, whether it’s through an automated tamper, steam wand, or brewer. Writer Jaxson Schor talks with coffee professionals who are both embracing and shunning automation in their cafés to see what lessons they might have for the rest of us.

’Same but Different’

Two-page spread for Same but Different Fermentation in Wine and Coffee with an illustration on the right page of a wine bottle and title on left page.
Wine and coffee both use fermentation. We take a look at what similarities and differences the two processes have.

Specialty coffee and wine have a multitude of similarities. One of them is the use of fermentation to create each beverage. But while fermentation is necessary to create wine, fermentation in coffee creates flavors and is not necessarily found in all processing techniques. Writer Ana Mallozzi breaks down the basics of fermentation, explores its impact on flavor, and describes what makes it a necessary step for wine and an optional one for coffee.

’One on One: Will Frith’

Two-page spread of One on One with Will Frith. Will Frith is on the left spinning a basketball on his finger and sitting on a scooter
Will Frith has helped build a thriving specialty-coffee industry in Vietnam and has a wicked crossover.

Coffee professional Will Frith’s journey has taken him around the world as he has worked in various roles at multiple coffee companies, but when he made it to Vietnam, he found a home. Writer Sarah G. Grant had a chance to interview Will about his travels, his work, and what about Vietnam captivated him and led him to build his life there in the October + November 2023 issue of Barista Magazine.

And Much More Inside

Also in the October + November 2023 issue, you’ll find an article on automation on the WBC stage, our column “Inclusivity in Coffee,“ and some great “Field Reports“ from France and Washington State—along with much, much more. 

Subscribe and More!

As always, you can read Barista Magazine in paper or digital format. Read the October + November 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.