Sassy Coffee Hipster Party in Kalispell, Montana

Our friend Jesse Plevel of Colter Coffee in lovely Kalispell, Montana, wrote to tell us about an awesome coffee get-together that recently took place in her town, organized by Colter. It sounded so fun we wanted to share it with our readers in hopes that it inspires you as much as it inspired us. (Be sure to keep us posted about jams, throwdowns, gatherings, slide shows, cuppings, and every other coffee activity taking place in your area, so we can share with the other zillion readers of the Barista Magazine blog! Just email me at sarah@baristamagazine.com)

Colter Coffee Crew from left:  Jesse Plevel, Allison Stayer, Richie Carter, Ty Wycoff
Colter Coffee Crew from left: Jesse Plevel, Allison Stayer, Richie Carter, Ty Wycoff. All photos by Julius Macker.
Sunday,  May  19, marked  Kalispell, Montana’s  first  ever  Sassy  Hipster  Coffee  Party organized  by  Colter  Coffee  in  collaboration  with  Montana  Coffee  Traders  and  5  Sparrows  Cafe Products.    The  barista  jam was designed to bring together  as  many  of  the  coffee  minded  gurus  in  this  little corner  of  the  world  as  possible.
This is Pump Pot Dolly and her gold airpot, a sweet first place prize if there ever was one.
This is Pump Pot Dolly and her gold airpot, a sweet first place prize if there ever was one.
The group started the afternoon by geeking  out  around  two  pour-over  bars brewing  single  origin  microlots  such  as  El  Salvador  San  Emilio  and  Guatemalan  Huehuetango. After the pour-over magic, baristas took their pick of a latte art station where they could compare their tulips  and  crema, or making beer  floats with Flathead  Lake  Brewing Company’s  Coffee  Stout ”made with Colter Coffee ”topped  off  with  a  scoop  of  local  delight,  Sweet  Peaks  Madagascar Vanilla  ice  cream.
Enthralled spectators from left:  Sunni Downing of Sweet Peaks; Mel Nelson, owner 5 Sparrows Cafe Products; Lindsay Macdonald, owner Colter Coffee Roasting
Enthralled spectators from left: Sunni Downing of Sweet Peaks; Mel Nelson, owner 5 Sparrows Cafe Products; Lindsay Macdonald, owner Colter Coffee Roasting
The  main  event  of  the  day  was  the  Latte  Art  Throwdown  open  to  any  brave soul  willing  to  throw  in  some  cash  money.    With  $150  on  the  line  along  with  gobs  of  swag, baristas from Colter Coffee, Montana Coffee  Traders  and  other  area  shops  competed  against one  another,  winner  take  all.
Latte art from the winner, Matthew Bussard
Latte art from the winner, Matthew Bussard
Determined  to  not  let  anyone  leave  empty  handed,  competitor  or not, everyone was encouraged to pull something from the  grab  bag ””grab  bag” being  the  cardboard  box by  the  front  door.
Totally awesome giveaways from Espresso Parts.
Totally awesome giveaways from Espresso Parts.
Without  the  generosity  of  Espresso  Parts guests  would  have  only been  able  to  grab  fancies  such  as  broken  portafilter  baskets,  a  fishing  bobber,  an  old  edition  of US Weekly, some Almond Roca, or a pack of gum.   Thanks  to  Espresso  Parts though, the grab bag included legit  items  to  fight  over  and  attendees  left  with  some  seriously  cool  gear.
Barista hands:  Richie Carter and Allison Stayer
Barista hands: Richie Carter and Allison Stayer
All in all the Sassy Hipster Coffee Party was a terrific event and succeeded in its mission to bring coffee people together, give them a place to relax, play, and socialize, and create excitement around the beverage we love so much in beautiful northwest Montana.
About Sarah 929 Articles
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.