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Meister: [Speaking close into the microphone] Just to be clear, that's "All of the inspiring coworkers that you have here," yes? McCarthy: [Laughs] Yes. That's a big part of my win, and my life in coffee. The coffees I was able to use, the support I got from [Counter Culture coffee department managers] Tim [Hill] and Kim [Ionesco]. I told Kim I was interested in learning more about genetic diversity and the future of coffee, and she was like, "Cool, let's do a Google+ Hangout." It was amazing that I got that attention and time. Rachel Peterson [of Hacienda la Esmeralda] was e-mailing me back and forth, giving me a lot of information that really helped form what I said about the coffee and about the history of her farm. Obviously Katie [Carguilo, 2012 U.S. Barista Champion] as my coach was awesome, and Sam [Penix, of Everyman Espresso in NYC] really helped me with my speech. He was like a Russian gym coach: [Shouts] "Again!" Meister: Did you feel like this year started out special? When you decided to enter, did you have the sense, like, "This is it"? McCarthy: I think I was more determined because I got second place in the Northeast, and I just knew that I could at least place in the U.S. competition. I think I'd done it long enough and I felt at this point that I could do it. I had a confidence I hadn't had before, and I really had that going into the worlds—I had to be in a mental space where I was like, "I can win this." Which, I mean, again, as a Virgo, it's such a weird and historically not a typical thought for me in a lot of situations. I think I was prepared not only mentally, but also with the backup I had at Counter Culture. with their Kalita Wave Tour, the science of it has made a lot of sense to me. The fact that I could get really good-tasting coffee, and the fact that I understood why and what was going on and that would be easy to explain in a competition setting, just kind of cinched it. You know, it has a horizontal column of grounds, so when the water hits the coffee particles it can extract more evenly from particle to particle… I'm basically reciting my speech right now. [Laughs] Also I'd been talking a lot with you guys, you know, our coworkers [at Counter Culture]. We talk a lot about Fetco brewing, and how it actually makes a lot of sense; it brews a really good cup of coffee very consistently. We're trying to put these home-brewing equipment in a café environment, which I think it's so important: The people coming into the cafés will be able to see that and be able to relate to it, and to take tips and bring it home. "Ever since Nick [Cho] and Mayu [Ono, of Kalita Japan] came through with their Kalita Wave Tour, the science of it has made a lot of sense to me." Meister: What made you choose a Kalita Wave for the competition? McCarthy: Honestly, it tasted the best. I really loved a Chemex for a long time, and I used that in the first two years of the Brewers Cup. Ever since Nick [Cho] and Mayu [Ono, of Kalita Japan] came through Meister: You want people to come into a café and relate to the way that people are making the coffee. So how is making coffee for the Brewers Cup different from just making yourself a cup of coffee? McCarthy: At home, if it's not perfect, I'm like, "Okay, that's fine." I do make sure that every variable is as consistent as possible, but I'm a lot more forgiving. So if I happen to not start the scale on time or if I forget to start the timer, I'm not going to do it over. But in preparing for a competition like this, I have to make sure that I know what every variable is so I can control it and make it better, and I can brew again and again and again and taste the coffee, so I can make it the best that it can be. For the competition you have to brew three separate brews for the judges, and I chose to do it three at a time, so I had to practice the timing using two kettles at once. That's not something I do at home. [Laughs] For the competition you can't just brew enough for three people and serve it, because they want to also see consistency between brews. For that reason, if I was brewing coffee for my roommates, which I do a lot—and a lot more often lately—I would just brew a batch. Training for all Segments of the Coffee Industry Grow your passion by building your skills: from sourcing to preparation. Sign up for a class today www.cofeesolutions.net Training Partner for Probat Burns North America www.baristamagazine.com 65