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PORTLAND COFFEE EXTRAVAGANZA WITH COFFEE FEST, CAFFEINE CRAWL, BARISTA NATION, AND MORE FROM OCTOBER 17 TO 19, the city of Portland, Ore., overflowed with coffee—even more than usual. Already famous for being the home of some of the best roasters and cafés in the world, Portland stepped it up in a big way by hosting not only Coffee Fest, but Barista Nation and two days of Caffeine Crawl. Traditionally, Seattle has been the locale for the fall Coffee Fest event, but organizer David Heilbrunn was on to something when he scheduled the 2014 and 2015 shows for Portland. The same reasons that make the Rose City a perfect place for an independent business owner to thrive drew coffee professionals by the thousands for a show floor full of some of the industry's top equipment, smallwares, and allied prod- ucts companies. Maybe because the rent is cheaper in Portland than in other large U.S. cities, maybe because Portland embraces artists and entrepreneurs—whatever the reasons, Coffee Fest Portland was one of the best-attended and most exciting coffee events of the past few years. One of Coffee Fest's biggest draws, the Latte Art Championship, was hotter than ever before, with competitors hailing from Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, Puerto Rico, and across the continental U.S.A. Ultimately, Yu- suke Ota of Japan proved victorious, beating out 63 of the most talented baristas in the world. Meanwhile, Barista Nation was hosting its first consumer-oriented event at Seattle Coffee Works in Portland's Pearl District on October 17. Enthusiasts and café owners alike spent the day learning from some of the best coffee minds in the city, including Sarah Dooley and Colin Francois of Baratza, and Jeremy Kuempel of Blossom. Coffee Fest attendees showed up in droves for the evening cocktail party and home espresso machine competition, where baristas were tasked with pouring latte art using one of several machines available at Seattle Coffee Gear. On Thursday and Friday of that weekend, the fabulous Caffeine Crawl made its way through as many of Portland's fantastic coffeehouses as time would allow, including Water Avenue Coffee, Stumptown Coffee, Nossa Fa- milia, Barista, Case Study, and many more. Crawlers were treated to tours, special cuppings, and signature drinks created just for the event. With more than 10,000 coffee professionals descending on the already coffee-fueled city for a few days, Portland lived up to its reputation as one of the best coffee towns in the world. Coffee Fest will return to Portland in the fall of 2015, and we're already excited. —Sarah Allen Photos, opposite page, clockwise from top left: Maggie Davis gives Caffeine Crawlers a tour of Portland Roasting's impressive facility. Brewing demonstrations took place at coffeehouses citywide during the Caffeine Crawl in Portland, including this Chemex demo. Coffee Fest Portland drew record crowds of independent café owners and coffee professionals to the three-day event at the Oregon Convention Center. Swedish Latte Art Champion Jelle Van Echelpoelson visited Portland to compete in the famous Latte Art Championship at Coffee Fest, and brought some of his signature designs with him. Held at Seattle Coffee Gear in Portland's Pearl District, Sarah Dooley of Baratza gave attendees a demonstration of grind particle sizes. Jelle won fourth place at Coffee Fest Portland's Latte Art Championship. Photos, this page, from top: Yusuke Ota of Japan has competed at Coffee Fest's Latte Art Championship many times in the past, and in Portland, he finally won. At Barista Nation's evening event, Kenta Tamura took a turn pouring latte art using the UNIC home espresso machine. The drinks produced at Coffee Fest Portland's Latte Art Championship were truly some of the best in the world. PHOTOS BY KELSIE RAUNIO 21 www.baristamagazine.com