Barista Magazine

APR-MAY 2013

Barista Magazine is your home for the worldwide community of coffee and the people who make it.

Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/118056

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 33 of 99

©Sean Hawkey - Luis Escobar Lara & Vitor Samual Galix at COCAOL, Honduras 1.24 million farmers & workers around the world working together for fairer trade 2012 USBC champ Katie Carguilo poses with Diana Meza who hosted the barista team for a party the night before she and her brother opened their new café in Tarrazú. Buy better. Look to the world's most recognized ethical label and join the farmers who are taking it forward. Now in the USA. www.fairtradeinternational.us questions@fairtrade.net Visit us at the SCAA in Boston Booth #1150 34 barista magazine worry about the spread of roya, or coffee-leaf rust in the country. He blamed it on the rush to plant a few years ago when prices skyrocketed, and the lack of care the plants received lately when the prices fell. "When the tree is not healthy, it's good for rust," he said. "When the tree is strong and healthy, rust won't do much to it." After the tour, of course, came another round of cupping, and then it was time to load up the Coaster Rican and head for the beach. But first the team was going to stop by a new café called Mutute, which means "the best" in the language of the Panamanian coffee pickers who work in the region. Unlike many other Central American countries, the majority of coffee pickers in Costa Rica actually come from outside, particularly Nicaragua and Panama. Winding up out of the valley, the bus passed into a cloud bank, and the temperature dropped precipitously. When the bus stopped at the café, it looked like the group had taken a detour to the Pacific Northwest. The weather was dark, wet, and cold, and the café was bright, modern, and clean. The next day was the grand opening, but the owners, a brother-andsister team, had invited their friends and family to see the café in action with champion baristas behind the bar. After the short visit, the bus began its journey out of the coffee country and toward the beach town of Jaco, where swimming, surfing, and ziplining were ahead. The Café Imports barista-champ origin trip managed to bring education and adventure together in a truly fantastic fashion. The team dynamics were exceptional, and the baristas created bonds that will last a lifetime. It's tough to imagine how the next one will top it, but undoubtedly everyone involved will try.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

view archives of Barista Magazine - APR-MAY 2013
subscribe to email alerts