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P U L L : E V E N T S BARISTA NATION LANDS IN SUNNY SACRAMENTO THIS SEPTEMBER THE CAPITAL CITY OF CALIFORNIA has emerged in the past few years as one of the most vibrant specialty-coffee cities in the country, thanks not only to the variety of top-quali- ty cafés and nationally celebrated roasters like Temple Coffee, Insight Coffee, and Chocolate Fish Coffee, among others, but also because of the camaraderie they share in an effort to strengthen Sacramento's coffee community as a whole. While San Francisco and Los Angeles arguably boast larger, more developed coffee cultures, Sacramento stands alone in its ability to balance a sophisticated urban coffee scene with the warmth and kinship of a smaller metropolis. This is largely what drew Unic's Brian Corenelsen, who heads up organization of the Barista Nation events, to select Sacramento as the location of this popular traveling educational event's fall edition. "Sacramento is so awesome—so much is happening there," says Brian, who notes that Barista Nation Sacramento, to take place September 24 at Beatnik Studios downtown, is open to everyone. The event is sponsored by Unic, Temple Coffee, and the Sacramento Public Latte Art Tournament (SPLAT). "There are all these amazing coffee companies that work together for the sake of the whole city's reputation as a leader in specialty coffee. That's more rare than you might think." Barista Nation Sacramento will feature leading industry experts and educators such as Barista Guild of America executive council chair Lorenzo Perkins, and many others in panel discussions, lectures, and plenty of hands-on workshops. In true Barista Nation fashion, there will be fantastic local food and a killer party in conjunction with the season finale of SPLAT. Stay tuned to www.baristanation.com for more details and registration information. —Sarah Allen LATTE ART CHAMPIONSHIP LOVE AT COFFEE FEST CHICAGO THERE ISN'T REALLY ANYTHING like a Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship. The 64-person bracket event is the most fast-paced and exciting coffee-related competition we've seen, bringing together industry newcomers as well as veterans who've been chasing the top prize for years. Taking place in conjunction with each of Coffee Fest's three-times-per-year event, the Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship pits masters of the craft in head-to-head pouring combat, with each winner advancing to later rounds. Baristas from across the Midwest and around the world converged in Chicago in June to take part in the Latte Art Championship, held in conjunction with the popular show and conference dedicated to inde- pendent coffee and teahouse retailers. Even with an early start time of 9 a.m., the first of the three-day competition was packed with specta- tors eager to see which of the 64 first-round competitors would advance to the 32-person semifinal round to be held the following morning. There are always surprises in the Coffee Fest Latte Art Championships—that's just one of the many draws. Former champion Ryan Soeder of Intelligentsia in Chicago almost—almost—got knocked out in the first round, and then went on to take third place overall. Kenny Smith, who won the last Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship in Atlanta in March, wasn't even scheduled to compete in Chicago, but filled a spot left by a no-show at the last minute. Two days and 62 baristas later, Kenny, who works in training and sales at Sunergos Coffee in Louisville, Ky., was one of the last two standing. At his side, Daisuke Tanaka of Bondi Café in Tokyo, who has traveled to the United States countless times to compete in these com- petitions—but has never won. Over the years of Coffee Fest Latte Art Champions, baristas from around the country and the globe become fast friends, helping each other with techniques off-stage and cheering for each other when it's their turn at the machine. With just Kenny and Daisuke—both beloved competitors—left in the competition, the audience held its collective breath as they waited for the judges to announce the winner. Would Kenny take two first-place finishes in a row? Would Daisuke, who has placed high in the past but never won, take his first gold trophy back to Japan? Before Daisuke could even register that his name had been called as the champion, Kenny swooped his friend into his arms and paraded him around proudly. Kenny admitted he was happier to see Daisuke win than he would have been to win again. It's the nature of the Coffee Fest Latte Art Championships: No doubt it takes an extraordinary barista to win, but the camaraderie among the competitors is the most memorable aspect of the event of all. The next Coffee Fest Latte Art Championship will take place at the Coffee Fest Portland, Ore., show October 23–24. First prize is $2,000, with $1,000 going for second place, and $500 for third. To enter and for more information, visit www.coffeefest.com. —Sarah Allen The much-beloved traveling event Barista Nation will celebrate Sacramento's vibrant coffee community with an event this fall. PHOTO BY KELSIE RAUNIO, COFFEE FEST 28 barista magazine