Barista Magazine

JUN-JUL 2013

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MI LAN, ITA LY A LATE SPRING RAIN just blew in from the street, and our previously sunshine-dappled courtyard in this lively Milanese neighborhood is suddenly dark. Across the courtyard through the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the front of Dalla Corte's stunning training room, however, no one notices; they are focused on two things at this moment, and weather isn't among them. The espresso machines in front of them, and the drinks the baristas are creating are what's important. Though techno music blares in the background, these baristas are intensely focused on the task at hand: honing their skills as champions. This is DC Campus, an annual event hosted by Dalla Corte that brings together national champions in latte art and coffee cocktails. As the official espresso machine of the World Latte Art Championship (WLA) and the World Coffee In Good Spirits (WCIGS) Championship, Dalla Corte introduced the DC Campus concept in 2012 to provide these champions a forum for training and skill building as much as developing relationships and gaining confidence about performing. Before attending DC Campus myself these three days in early May, I would have assumed the proof that this concept worked would be in the cup when the WLA and WCIGS championships take place in Nice, France, in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe's (SCAE) annual World of Coffee event at the end of June. As the last day of DC Campus winds down around me, though, I can safely say this has been a great success. I am measuring that not by the final scores of these champions at their international events, rather by the confidence that's been gained and the relationships that have formed. Dalla Corte understands that the best practice for competition success is not to seal oneself away in a room with an espresso machine and mountains of coffee with which to experiment. The company created DC Campus to Opposite page: Luzia Maite Taschler of Germany, who placed third in the World La e Art Championship in 2012, was invited to DC Campus in Milan in early May to share her experience with the national la e art champions who will square off at the 2013 World La e Art Championship in Nice, France, in June. Luzia (who cra ed the silver coffee bean ring herself, and bought the coffee cup ring on Etsy) loved every minute of the DC Campus event, which was a three-day workshop hosted by Dalla Corte—the espresso machine sponsor of both the World La e Art Championship and the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. Above, the city of Milan maintains the industrial look that resulted from the Allied bombings that took place during the Second World War. support its philosophy of "Live, Learn, Share," which is what Paolo Dalla Corte says will make these baristas champions not only in coffee but also in life itself. "There is such energy there," he tells me as we sit for a chat in the courtyard, pausing when the laughter and applause coming from the training room becomes too loud to hear each other. "We will always do this. You can see, this thing, it works." He's talking about DC Campus, but also Dalla Corte's sponsorship of the WLA and the WCIGS competitions. Dalla Corte's sponsorship will expire after the 2014 events, but Paolo has every intention of going after it again. He wouldn't dream of ceasing to host these DC Campus events to prepare, bolster, and celebrate the national champions. It's still a relatively small event; while the latte art and coffee cocktail champions from every country are invited, not all of them are able to attend due to time or financial restrictions. (Baristas and/or their companies must cover their travel expenses; once here, Dalla Corte provides everything else—coffee, alcohol, milk, equipment, social events, and all meals.) At the first DC Campus in 2012, only a dozen participants made it to Milan for the event. This year, attendence is twice that number, along with other baristas who placed high or won the competitions in the past, industry supporters, World Coffee Events (WCE) trainers, and lookie-loos like me. It's www.baristamagazine.com 41

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