The fancy foam was flying last Friday night as Kaffee Meister in Hayden held its inaugural Latte Art Throwdown.
About 14 local and guest baristas from as far away as Vancouver, Wash., and San Diego participated in four rounds of increasing difficulty, starting with heart art in Round 1, a layered design in Round 2, a rosette design in Round 3 and a free pour for Round 4.
Skylar Brown of Hayden, a barista at New Love Coffee, emerged victorious, earning a pot of about $70, an espresso tamper trophy and a T-shirt to commemorate his win.
“It still feels pretty unreal,” Brown said. “I wasn’t expecting to even pour more than two or three lattes, so the fact that I made it to the final round and won the final round is pretty wild to me.”
Elisa McLaughlin, an independent barista of Vancouver, came in second place. In third place was Kaffee Meister’s own Jackson Busby.
“I think it’s one of the most fun things we do in the coffee community,” said Leslie Emmons, who owns Kaffee Meister with husband Mike Emmons. “It’s a fun way for baristas who work all over to celebrate the art and have fun together.”
The latte throwdown was a high-energy event attended by about 50 spectators. It was so successful, Leslie Emmons said Kaffee Meister may hold another Latte Art Throwdown in six months or so.
“We would love to get three more coffee shops to be willing to host, do one for each season,” she said.
Latte art utilizes the microfoam created when a steam wand is plunged into a pitcher of milk and the wand releases hot, high-pressure steam to froth the milk. Because it is easier to work with than the dry macrofoam used for cappuccinos, the science and art of microfoam have made lattes enjoyable for all the senses going back to the beginning of espresso in early 20th century Italy but truly became a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s.
“It’s a really good way to express myself and show some creativity,” Brown said. “I’m a bit of a showoff, so I like to be able to show off my skills at work.”
Entries in Kaffee Meister’s Latte Art Throwdown are seen Jan. 10. The winning latte on the left was designed by Skylar Brown of Hayden.
