Barista Magazine

FEB-MAR 2015

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

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ent research, and execute hands-on workshops included Robério Oliveira Silva, executive director of the ICO; Andrea Illy, chairman and CEO of illycaffé S.p.A; Hidenori Izaki, 2014 World Barista Champion; Stefanos Domatiotis, 2014 World Brewers Cup Champion; Ric Rhinehart, executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America; Matt Lounsbury, vice president of Stumptown Coffee Roasters; Mark Pendergrast, author of the celebrated book Uncommon Grounds; among others. The subject matter at this year's WCLF couldn't have been more topical, with in-depth explorations of supply chain issues, the con- tinuing effects of coffee-leaf rust, the industry-altering emergence of the bottled cold-brew market, and more. World Barista Champion Hidenori of Japan, and World Brewers Cup Champion Stefanos of Greece, offered practical sessions on coffee brewing and espresso extraction. Attendees were treated to social and networking oppor- tunities, such as the rousing WCLF welcome reception, where tradi- tional dancers and musicians captivated the audience, while delectable food and drinks were served. Further, WCLF attendees could escape the confines of the con- vention center to take part in a fantastic tour of some of Seoul's most fascinating coffeehouses and roasteries, as guides escorted them on a journey through Seoul's coffee and café culture, from past to present. Organizers look forward to pushing the WCLF further onto the international stage in 2015 by again providing a comfortable and stim- ulating space for the industry's best minds to come together to dis- cuss trends, research, and science, as well as address Asia's growing role in the global coffee community. Hopefully they will continue with a new segment debuted this year called Café Talks, which was held on the Café Show exhibition hall floor. A collabo- ration between the Café Show and WCLF staffs, the Café Talks were designed on the TED Talks model, with industry leaders taking the stage for speeches on current coffee endeavors and trends. The Café Talks theater included plenty of seating, a com- fortable lecture dais, and an enthusiastic host who interviewed speakers at the end of each lecture. In accordance with my objective of help- ing to develop the Seoul coffee and barista community, the lecture I delivered at Café Talks was about coffeehouse owners in various regions—the Pacific Northwest; Copenhagen, Denmark; the Rocky Mountain region; London; New York—who have suc- cessfully come together as guilds, clubs, or even highly organized associations, such as the Oregon Coffee Board, for the sake of the larger coffee society in their area. I offered attendees to my lecture tools and ideas for how they might reach out to one another in informal, nonthreatening ways. I assured them that they don't have to give up their café's trade secrets— investing in community is about supporting, not stealing. At the close of my speech, I invited them all to the party we were throwing at the Pancake Epidemic, which recently opened three cafés in Seoul, serv- ing Stumptown Coffee. I spent the following afternoon at the café with Tony Lee, who works for Pancake Epidemic's parent company, Kasina, which is primarily the Korean distributor and stores for the coolest brands in the United States, including Stussy and limited-edi- tion Nike shoes and apparel. The Pancake Epidemic itself is a concept out of Los Angeles, and its head barista, Brandon Davenport, was in Seoul to make sure our party went off without a hitch. (Want the whole fascinating story of how the Pancake Epidemic, Kasina, and Stumptown Coffee came together, with a huge helping of Seoul 32 barista magazine

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