32nd Competitor: Marie Holston, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Santa Clara CA
Judges: Sean Komescher of Temple, Robert Myers of Peets.
our Marie, grinning largely. Element 114 espresso: 5 beans including brazils santa colombo and poco fundo and 2 Ethiopians, including ghimbi. tunes: post-indie pop and acid jazz. Architecture in Helsinki, i think.
esp: using Barefoot customized Reg Barber: stylish. esp. is a little slow, but thick and dark. crema is thickly flecked but thin, volume ~.75 oz. ‘1st sip has tang, then syrupy body and cacao flavors. then citrus comes through.’
i don’t know where we got those big foot pillows, but, whichever sewing angel saw fit to bestow them upon us: thank you. and whoever thought to bring them from the cafe: thank you. they are ridiculous, and i like them.
capp: several-lobed hearts, full thick ring of crema. foam looks thick, perhaps a little coarse. second set of shots are thinner and trickly: Marie tosses them. at 8:17, that’s a little bold. replacement shots are nice and thick. dedication! Strauss barista milk. adds sweetness, but doesn’t overwhelm coffee flavor. maintains visually correct art, heavy dark flecking carries through the milk. foam is indeed thick, but a little stiff. served @ 10:35.
sig: mousse w/ cherimoya, contrast cacao while emphasizing fig and citrus. using wild Ethiopian coffee blossom honey. averts disaster as tall ingredients tip. saved! the whipped cream charger is giving a little trouble, but surmounted. cute little beds of green coffee beans and auburn cherimoya seeds for classy glass of red esp. and white mousse. served 15:20- the price of remaking a shot.
barefoot staff and allies make up about 15% of the total population, i think. we are having a huge coffee party. this is different from daily life? no.