Barista Magazine

JUN-JUL 2013

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tering contests and turning green over other people's beautiful photographs: Being able to pour elaborate designs, while an enticing and worthwhile pursuit, isn't necessarily the only end goal, or sign of success. "You don't have to pour something crazy into every drink. Any time you intentionally combine espresso and milk in a purposeful way, you're creating latte art," Ryan says. "If all you want to pour is a monk's head, go right ahead! But pour your best monk's head every time, because your customers deserve your full attention and skill." Tips from the Pros The learning curve for latte art can be frustratingly steep, and without the right guidance (or guru) it often feels impossible to get past the inevitable milk plateaus—the constantly crooked heart, the washed-out rosetta, the overspill. (Argh, the overspill!) For Nicely, it comes down to learning at your own pace and in your own way: "I really appreciate the idea of an artist knowing when to stop and put the paint brush down," he says. "I have my perfectionist traits, and I don't hold others to the expectations I set for myself when it comes to latte art. Early on I didn't have any expectations placed on me. I feel like I cherish/respect how I have gotten to where I am at with the craft, in my own way. To me, it's a practice. Like Yoga. Yeah, yoga. Breathing is my key." TROUBLESHOOTING ROSETTAS Ryan suggests working with a partner to identify and repair those pesky, repeated mistakes: "Have someone who knows what they're doing watch you and tell you what you're doing wrong," he says. "Odds are you have no idea!" Before you pour a drop, though, one thing is crucial to master: Milk quality. Beautifully textured, microfoamed milk is the single most important part of creating and improving your art. Says Alexandra, "When training someone how to steam, I always tell them to learn [their] milk. Listen to how it sounds and feels by touch to really get to know where it has to be." Ryan insists that latte art "be treated with the same respect that every other step in the process gets. Customers eat with their eyes before they ever get to taste the drink. Latte art is important, and doing it poorly undermines all the hard work you put into other aspects of the coffee. If you can't do it well, practice and get better, because it's your job." Once you get your milk texture and temperature down—and only then, as latte-art skills should be a reward for a job otherwise well done—there are a few basic tips that can help you refine your skills and draw designs that pop every single time. Ryan generously offered to show us some of his tricks of the trade (see Good Pours How-To and Troubleshooting sidebars), and hopefully you'll recognize some of your own pitfalls in the following pictures—and learn how to fix 'em! Uneven Draw-Through Nothing is worse than pouring something you feel great about only to ruin it at the end with an uneven draw-through.  Practice, practice, practice to build the muscle memory required to delicately draw through the exact center of the design. High All  symmetrical  designs begin in the center. Starting too high results in long designs that rest in the top portion of the cup. Heavy Draw-Through Drawing through with too high a rate of pour, or whipping through too quickly, can pull the design to the bottom of the cup.  Gently and slowly draw through the center to draw the leaves together and maintain the structure of the design. Low Starting too low results in designs that appear to grow out of the bottom of the cup instead of resting in the center. Aim to have an even ring of crema around the entire design. www.baristamagazine.com 71

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