Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/659497
P U L L : E V E N T S QUALIFYING EVENT EMBRACED BY KANSAS CITY COFFEE COMMUNITY WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the Specialty Coffee Association of America's (SCAA) cancelation of the beloved regional Barista and Brewers Cup Championships caused an uproar in the barista community, the organization planned what would be known as the Qualifying Event, which took place in Kansas City, Mo., in early February. The Qualifier split the United States into two conferences, Western and Eastern, within which 50 baristas competed for the top six spots in each conference, earning them a spot in the semifinal round of the United States Barista Championship (USBC), as well as the U.S. Brewers Cup, both of which take place at the SCAA Expo in April in Atlanta. Attendees and competitors were urged not to think of these top six Western and Eastern finishers as "champions," since this event was planned to be decidedly lo-fi compared to past regional events. The Qualifying Event wasn't even supposed to have a livestream until Pacific Foods stepped in to save the day, committing to pay the entire cost of the livestream just days before the event began. It was efforts like these, however, that ended up making the Qualifying Event just as joyful and exciting, and just as much a celebration of community, as the former regionals were. Maybe the original idea had just been for a simple, stripped-down qualifier where baristas performed, got ranked, and went home. This community wouldn't have any of it, though. Hundreds of coffee pros traveled from around the country to be together, celebrate the great talents of the Barista and Brewers Cup competitors, and, of course, party. The Kansas City coffee community could not have been more gracious and welcoming, and local roasters and cafés threw open their doors to out-of-towners for nightly gatherings and standing invitations to drop in for coffee anytime. It was clear that the united, supportive group of coffee pros in Kansas City was determined to make a big deal out of this industry event in their city, and were we ever grateful. There were two particular evening events that were highlights of the four-day affair: One was The Coffeewoman, organized by Laila Willbur and sponsored by Pacific Foods, La Marzocco, and Barista Magazine, which was the first event of its kind in the United States. Inspired by a similar event held recently in Denmark, The Coffeewoman brought together both women and men from the barista and coffee-retailer community to discuss pertinent issues facing women in coffee today. The standing-room-only crowd was thirsty for discussion, and the lively, thought-provoking conversations that came out of panel discussions and a stirring keynote address could have easily gone on all night. The other highlight was a party thrown by the whole of the Kansas City coffee community. In fact, individual businesses didn't even want credit for their financial, product, time, and planning contributions—the credit for the Cowtown Throwdown, as it was called, laid equally on the shoulders of everyone slinging coffee in one way or another in Kansas City. It was pretty amazing. Not only did heaps of baristas take part in a latte art throwdown, but there was a phenomenal raffle with pretty exceptional prizes that raised more than $1,000 for the local nonprofit the Noah's Bandage Project, named for Noah Wilson, a little boy whose cancer diagnosis couldn't hold him back from developing a unique way to support and cheer other sick kids. (It's a really moving project—we urge you to check it out at www.noahsbandageproject.com.) At the end of the four days, six baristas in each conference, and six Brewers Cup competitors in each conference had been determined as the highest finishers, and therefore will go through to the semifinal round. More than that, as inevitably happens whenever this community gets together under pretty much any circumstance, everyone had a blast. —Sarah Allen Top photo: The Kansas City coff ee community worked together to host the Cowtown Throwdown—an unforge able evening of fun, friendship, la e art, raising money for a good cause, and a killer raffl e—during the U.S. Coff ee Championships Qualifying Event in early February. In this photo, Reg Barber, daughter Julia, and the Barista Guild of America's Lorenzo Perkins judge the fi nal two la e art pours of the night. Center photo: The top six fi nishers in the Eastern Conference of the USBC Qualifi er, from le : Trevor Gruehn (6th); Andrew McCaslin (4th); Lem Butler (5th); Trevor Corle (1st); Ashley Elander (3rd); Sam Lewontin (2nd). Bo om photo: The top six fi nishers in the Western Conference of the USBC Qualifi er, from le : Tyler G. Hill (4th); Devin Chapman (6th); Bethany Hargrove (5th); Becky Reeves (3rd); Sam Schroeder (2nd); and Cole McBride (1st). 32 barista magazine