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Laurent Francheteau, owner of Docteur Bean, a service company and distributor in Montreal. Laurent and Anastasia planned the curriculum, speakers, theme, and special activities in the months prior; when the date of the event, March 31, finally arrived, this Canadian installment of Barista Nation went off without a hitch. This was the kind of event that Barista Nation is known for: Funky and grassroots, it was held in Docteur Bean's industrial location with towering shelves of machine parts, syrups, and smallwares teetering around the niche carved out for attendee seating. Anastasia and Laurent had planned for two classroom spaces, the larger of which was the warehouse, and the smaller workshop area at the front of the store. This is where Unic's espresso machine brainiac Clayton Jones led the popular class, "Espresso Machine Variables and How They Create a Perfect Shot," and later where Barista Nation favorite, instructor Sauro Dall'Aglio, taught the session "Single Shot Creativity: Understanding the Dynamic and Parameters of a Single Shot in Basic Drinks." The crowd of nearly 100 enjoyed engaging with visiting speakers, who hailed primarily from the Pacific Northwest, as well as local experts, including Anthony Benda, who appealed to the more philosophical coffee pros. His open-ended discussion, titled, "Clinging to Conclusions," encouraged baristas, café owners, and roasters in the audience to step outside their comfort zones, and let their community of coffee professionals lend support. Indeed, what was most impressive from an outsider's perspective at Barista Nation Montreal is how tight and compassionate the Montreal coffee family is. They welcomed newcomers, they opened their doors to so-called competitors, they shared knowledge over drinks, whether cocktails or coffee. In Zachary Carlsen's "Cupping for Customers," and Marie-Éve Laroche's "Finding Brewing Flaws," participants were exceptionally candid, asking questions and throwing out ideas; no one here was afraid of being laughed at. It was a completely safe and supportive environment. Special thanks should go to Laurent and Docteur Bean, then, for creating the setting in the first place, and for generously inviting one and all in both the Montreal and its nearby metropolitan areas to come together for three very simple reasons: to share, to learn, and to build community. By the end of the day, as classes and discussions concluded, Barista Nation's now-legendary end-of- event party commenced with a latte art throwdown populated by some of the most entertaining baristas around. Others continued conferring on topics raised throughout the day, and playing on machines was not only allowed but also encouraged as attendees put new skills to the test. Throughout the now-familiar and friendly Docteur Bean headquarters, the general feeling was satisfaction from a day of intense education, and of course, making friends. The next Barista Nation will take place in Denver, Colo., on July 26. Visit www.baristanation.com for details. —Sarah Allen 29 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 1 - 4 6 . i n d d 2 9 Book 1-46.indd 29 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 2 9 P M 5/15/14 10:29 PM