WBC Semifinalist #8: Colin Harmon, Ireland

Colin aimed high with his performance here in Vienna, and by aiming high, I mean breaking everything down to the bare bones, and reinventing what a baristacompetition performance, and thusly, a cafe service experience, should be.

I took this photo to show Colin's prep table, which had nothing on it but a cartoon and some pictures of teddy bears.

Have you ever seen a barista competitor spend the final 2.5 minutes of his/her performance time talking to the judges about humanity and being kind to others, through service, through coffee? I hadn’t ”until today.

Colin, cappuccinos, and hearts.

With a performance that was playful, but with a very serious message, Colin charmed in his Colin way.

Colin shows the jdges Pantone cards with shade of brown on them, and teddy bears.

Since he left things so simple, I will too: the coffee had tastes of dark chocolate, malt and pistascio. He played Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. He had a cartoon, and he showed the judges pictures of teddy bears to illustrate the color of his coffee. It was simply divine.

Time: 14.54

About Sarah 936 Articles
Sarah Allen (she/her) is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.

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