Seems like only a couple of months ago that Ben Helfen was writing stories about latte art throwdowns for our little magazine. And now in a city abuzz with news with the passing of health care reform, the Washington Post has taken the time to talk to Ben, and many others, about what’s really newsworthy: the District’s barista scene (and the role throwdowns play in it).
I’m trying to decide if this is my favorite quote: “I’m 90 percent certain that people had been drinking and went back to the shop to see who could pour the best art,” said Ben Helfen, head barista at Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge in Atlanta. Or if this is: “It really gives coffee professionals that ‘nerd time,’ for lack of a better term,” said Helfen. “Yet it can be a totally non-elitist thing.”
Either way, it’s a very good story and it’s always good for the general public to see a little more about the craft of the barista and the community that keeps growing.
