Miki Suzuki, barista champion of Japan, was our second competitor of the day, and as always she was unflappable. Though her microphone cut out from time to time, she didn’t miss a beat and the judges followed right along with her espresso-based exploration of acids.
Building from her espressos to the capps to her signature drink, the acids featured in her drinks became more and more complex. She focused on three to begin with apple, citrus and grape, and by the time she finished with her sig drink, the list was something like a dozen flavors long.
She also had an interesting use of menus, including one where the judges were to identify what flavors they found in her drink, and then overlay another layer to reveal what Miki had found.
