Two new champions just joined the ranks of those baristas traveling next June to Bogota with the finals of the First Annual Mexican Latte Art Championship and the Ninth Annual Mexican Barista Championship.
The morning began with the six finalists in the latte art competition pouring their best work for the judges and ended with the six barista competition finalists doing the same.
The first latte art champion of the country is a former national barista champion: Aurora Aleli Monero of Café Passmor took the title after scoring 8s for her work!
While waiting between competitors in the barista championship, Jose Arreola called 2009 Mexican Barista Champion, Fabrizio Sencion Ramirez from 5pm Café on stage to talk a little about Barista Magazine. Fabrizio’s café is in the city of Guadalajara which will host (if all goes according to plan) the first ever Cup Tasting Championship of Mexico and the first Coffee in Good Spirits competitions in February.
I need to take a moment now and say how terrific the audience at the barista competition was. The place was packed throughout all three days of the event, and they had tremendous energy and support for every competitor. Now, to the finalists.
Then came the waiting for scores to be tabulated, and following the announcement of sixth through fourth, the top three finalists awaited their fates. Two of three had gone through something similar already in the day as Erika and Javier both competed in the Latte Art Championships too.
Erika took third place while Javier placed second for the second time in the day, leaving Ricardo Cardenas as the new barista champion of Mexico. Congratulations, Ricardo! See you in Colombia!
