Hello friends! Chris here, attempting to write my second blog post ever! I agreed to help with the Roastery blog, thinking that it couldn’t be that hard to write about coffee, seeing as how it’s one of the few things that I know a lot about. As I enter the vast world of blogging baristas, however, I’ve begun to realize that I still have a LOT to learn. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still confident that I can make you one of the best latte’s you’ve ever had, latte art to boot (see our facebook page for proof). Still, as I peruse blogs written by some of the world’s most knowledgeable coffee guru’s, such as ‘Tamp This’, I am both overwhelmed and excited by everything going on in the coffee world, and all that is left for me to learn!
As I’ve surfed the coffee blogosphere, I’ve been noticing a running theme: pretty much everyone who considers themselves a dedicated barista is attending and/or competing in, barista competitions. I, on the other hand, haven’t yet had the chance to attend even one. Fortunately, that’s about to change… because we at the Buena Vista Roastery are attending our first Mountain Regional Barista Championship in Fort Collins, Colorado this weekend!
None of us are competing at the Fort Collins competition, but our excitement about attending is still so great that, not only have we been practicing our latte art with a fury, but we’ve been inspired to do a little research into the rules and and regulations enforced at such competitions, just in case we want to enter the next one. We weren’t surprised to read that each competitor must present the judges with both an espresso shot and a cappuccino… that’s pretty standard. What we weren’t expecting was the third drink that each competitor is required to present: the signature drink.
A signature drink is a drink invented by a barista that’s espresso based, alcohol- free, and if you want to win a competition, very creative in its construction. Here at the Roastery, we have several great coffee concoctions that are delicious, fairly simple, and honestly, the most experience I’ve ever had making anything more than straight cappuccinos and lattes (most of my years in the industry were spent in Australia, where even the addition of flavor to lattes is scoffed at as tainting the purity of one’s coffee).
Barista pouring his signature drink at the Canadian National Barista Championship
That in mind, you can imagine my dismay when I discovered that, to compete in a barista competition like the one we’re attending this weekend, not only do I need to invent a signature drink of my own, it must be able to challenge the likes the ‘Coffee and a Cigar’ (which, yes, actually uses tobacco-infused cream as an ingredient) and the ‘Crimson Sage,’ an espresso shot with sugar-cane juice, a pinch of white pepper, and topped with a dollop of sage-infused steamed milk. Winning signature drinks are always awesome… and incredibly intimidating.
I’ve got my work cut out for me, wouldn’t you agree? But before we fully embrace this signature drink business, let’s quickly look at why a barista would tackle such a daunting task in the first place (other than the fact that it’s required at competitions). Why put so much time and energy into what my dad refers to as ‘frou-frou’ coffee drinks? Does adding sage or rosemary (or tobacco!) to a coffee actually make it more interesting and better tasting, or should we baristas stick with the old adage that ‘less is more’?? Is the signature drink component included merely to add a bit of theater to the barista comp, or is there actually a deeper purpose behind this somewhat daunting requirement?
A barista's gear for preparing their signature drink. Can anyone say 'high-tech'?
Interestingly enough, it seems that these drinks are not just an excuse for a rock-star barista to get up and show-off a little (though that is, no doubt, a part of it ); as fellow barista Carl Sara says in his blog ‘A Life in Coffee,’ “No barista who does not understand the complexities of their coffee will ever make a truly great signature drink.” In other words, a signature drink is not just a crazy concoction that happens to include espresso… instead, the coffee is the heart and soul of the drink, and any other ingredients, exotic though they may be, are merely added to bring out the many and varied flavors hiding within the espresso. It’s fair to say, then, that in order to make a killer signature drink, a barista must know the coffee that they’re using inside and out. I might want to use fresh mint, infuse with lemon, etc., but if these flavors don’t perfectly complement the espresso that I’m using, than my drink will be a messy collision of flavors and nothing more. Surprise, surprise… this signature drink business will actually make a more talented barista out of me. Who’da thunk it…
With this in mind, myself and my co-workers here at the Roastery are embarking on a quest to construct the perfect signature drink. We are always striving to increase our knowledge of coffee and to be better barista’s, and I have no doubt that this endeavor will be a huge leap in the right direction. And now comes your part, dear reader… I know I just spent an entire paragraph emphasizing the importance of knowing one’s coffee as the basis for a signature drink, but still, we would love your input when it comes to selecting ingredients! Maybe the spice or fruit or infusion that you suggest will be just the thing we’re looking for to bring out the unique flavors of our 10th Mountain Espresso! Or maybe you’ll come up with just the right ingredient to complement the hint of berry that’s found in our High Country Espresso! So tell us… what do YOU want us to put in our signature drinks???
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The tobacco infusion idea is an interesting one. It is seemed to work for Homer Simpson, when he grew the tomacco (tobacco and tomato combo) plants. He had the entire town hooked. As simple as it is, I really like the bitterness of 3 espresso shots combined with Chai, which I think is a Dirty Hippy. Not very original but tasty. I can’t wait to hear what you all come up with. Great post!