Aldo Coffee Company baristi compete nationally
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That person behind the counter at your favorite coffeehouse who so artfully whips steamed milk for your cappuccino might be in training for a competition in the techniques of espresso-based drinks.
There is some serious science behind a good cup of espresso, according to Melanie and Rich Westerfield, co-owners of Aldo Coffee Co. on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon.
Post-GazetteAldo Coffee Co. baristi, from left, Belle Battista and Sonja Schutte and co-owner Melanie Westerfield in the shop in Mt. Lebanon.
Click photo for larger image.
They have put a priority on training their staff in barista techniques through courses conducted by Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters, their Chicago-based coffee supplier. The training has led to successful participation in regional and national barista competitions, where entrants are judged on their ability to make quality coffee drinks fast.
"We're pretty passionate and consistent about making good drinks," said Ms. Westerfield, who looks for employees who share her love of coffee.
Two Aldo employees, Belle Battista and Sonja Schutte, have competed at the U.S. Barista Competition, which requires preparing different coffees for judges in a timed trial.
Ms. Schutte, 47, of Mt. Lebanon, began working at Aldo Coffee last fall. A native of South Africa, she's been enjoying espresso for years. "But I had no real idea what went into making coffee until joining Aldo," she said.
Ms. Schutte was one of three Aldo Coffee baristi who placed among the top six finalists at the Mid-Atlantic regional barista competition held in Macungie, Lehigh County, in March. Ms. Westerfield and Ms. Battista, of Mt. Lebanon, and Aldo Coffee's director of training, also competed but were unable to enter the national competition because of schedule conflicts.
But Ms. Schutte traveled to Long Beach, Calif., this month for the national competition. Although it's open to anyone, few enter unless they've placed at the regional level.
Aldo Coffee Co. pays the travel expenses. "We also pay them wages for the day that they compete," Ms. Westerfield said. "We treat it as an employment event."
Ms. Battista placed second in the regional competition this year and competed in both the regional and national competitions last year. She is the most experienced barista at Aldo Coffee Co. "She's really a coffee professional all around," Ms. Westerfield said.
Ms. Westerfield was stunned to learn that all three Aldo Coffee representatives had placed among the top six regional finalists. "I almost fainted. It's wonderful confirmation that what we do here is right," she said.
Both the regional and national barista competitions require the barista to prepare three coffee drinks for four judges within 15 minutes. The drinks must include espresso, cappuccino and a signature coffee drink
"Making a really good espresso is hard. It's easy to make it badly, and the 15-minute time limit is where a lot of people fail," said Ms. Westerfield, who competed for the first time at the regional competition.
Ms. Schutte did not advance from the first round at the national competition, but enjoyed the opportunity to compete and learn more about the process. She believes the hardest part was preparing the espresso machine during the allotted 15-minute preparatory period. Points are awarded for a variety of skills including presentation, cleanliness and taste.
"The biggest part of your judging is taste. Everything is secondary to taste," she said.
Espresso is made by forcing hot water through the coffee beans. According to the Aldo Coffee barista, a good "espresso shot" should take between 20 and 25 seconds to flow through the beans and into the cup. Depending on the type of coffee, adjustments have to be made to ensure the shot is just right. "It's fairly daunting to achieve that in the 15 minutes before you start," Ms. Schutte said.
Her signature drink included ginger and chocolate and was served hot. "I tried to bring in some of my South African background," she said. "We use a lot of spices and fruit in our cooking."
Ms. Westerfield said Aldo Coffee would send employees to the regional and national barista competitions again next year.
Ms. Schutte is looking forward to a possible Aldo Coffee trip to South America to learn about coffee farming. "It has become more personal for me," she said.
She also wants to improve her ability to blend coffee beans to achieve specific flavors, a skill she noted in many of the national competitors.
Aldo Coffee has begun its own barista training for restaurants and hobbyists. It also hosts an Internet blog that encourages online conversation about coffee and related topics. According to Ms. Westerfield, her husband started the blog as a way to extend the community of the coffee shop. "He's gotten a lot of attention for the blog. It lets people talk to us, ... people who are passionate about coffee."
You can find those conversations at aldocoffee.com
First Published May 31, 2007 6:46 am
