A cold and wet storm blew through Boston last night, but Saturday dawned calmer and touch a sunnier. Inside the Activities Hall at the SCAA Event, the 18 amazing baristas in the Semifinal Round competed to see who would make it to the final six on Sunday to vie for the title of United States Barista Champion. It was a daylong display of knowledge, passion, and enthusiasm for the craft, and community, of coffee, and I was impressed with what all of the baristas brought to the stage.
While the USBC worked its way through the day, the finalists in the US Brewers Cup and Latte Art Exhibition wrapped up their events with their ultimate rounds, with the twist being that the US Brewers Cup won’t announce the winner until tomorrow in conjunction with the USBC Awards Ceremony.
The six baristas who will compete to be the 2013 United States Barista Champion are: Pete Licata from Parisi Coffee in Kansas City; Sam Lewontin from Everyman Espresso in New York City; Charlie Habegger from Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago; Nick Purvis from the French Press in Santa Barbara, Calif.; Charles Babinski from G&B in Los Angeles, and Trevor Corlett from Madcap Coffee in Washington, DC.
Here are some shots from the day in competition and around the show!
