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Barista Guild of America (BGA) member and had traveled to Dubai to go through BGA coursework. I just had no idea about the reach of the BGA and of industry publications like Barista Magazine and its power to touch and involve people like Mohammad, who are so far removed. Even more so, that specialty coffee had the ability to bring me closer to the country where my father was born. I decided to do whatever I could to help them. As this was all washing over me, Mohammad asked what tips I might be able to share with him and his café staff. I'm most comfortable behind bar, so I decided to start there. Five or more people were behind bar and it seemed excessive for a café seating 20 people. I later discovered most had come at the hopes of learning from a U.S. barista. Their latte art tutorials have been limited to watching censored YouTube via poor Internet, so they wanted to start with some rosettas. I was impressed by how clean and professional the baristas were as they steamed milk and pulled espressos. I reassured them over and over that they had an amazing operation: clean, efficient, and with great customer service. These guys are creating a new standard for specialty coffee in Iran, and are doing it without Twitter, Facebook, and all the other media and educational tools we have access to. Sam Café doesn't have other Iranian cafés to compare themselves to, so they are just doing their best in their own little bubble, providing a truly first-class experience. We poured latte after latte. Then they asked me to tell them about competition and began preparing single espressos and single cappuccinos for me to analyze. As we talked and tasted coffee, looked over milk texture, and shared our excitement, the guys told me of their dream to compete in the World Barista Championship. I agreed and made them a promise: If they were committed, I would help them get there. Now I'm back in Seattle, and I've been in contact with Mohammad trying to get the country registered with the WBC. They need a lot of help, and we hope that the coffee community will read this article and want to Tehran has seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of cafés with young people since 2011. In a country where there are no bars, as alcohol is banned, cafés offer a modern environment for young people to meet and socialize. Along with the increase in café culture, baristas take more and more pride in their work, which recently resulted in the first-ever meeting of the Iranian Barista Guild. "We have a passion that is growing, and we're anxious and excited to move forward into the international coffee community," says Mohammad Khani, a Tehrani barista who has been leading the development of the Iran Barista Guild. "We believe we have the talent, the passion, and the drive to be experts." help, too. I'm excited for the day when I again take that 14-hour flight on my way to sitting front and center at the first-ever Iranian Barista Championship. M E E T T H E FA C E O F PRECISION Curtis Gold Cup® "We recognized the need for an American-style single cup drip brewer, precise enough to craft Golden Cup quality with any brew method. Our solution, the Curtis Gold Cup." Brant Curtis, 4th Generation wilburcurtis.com/ microsite/goldcupbrewer/ W I L B U R C U R T I S C O M PA N Y, L O S A N G E L E S C A | 8 0 0 - 4 2 1 - 6 1 5 0 | W I L B U R C U R T I S . C O M www.baristamagazine.com 39