A few words from owner Steve Fritzen, who judged the Big Central Brewers Cup:
The 2013 Big
This past
weekend I had the honor of judging the best brewers in the north central and
south central region of the
Steve during the day 1, blind judging, of Brewers Cup
To sponsor,
host, and organize such an event is a spectacle in itself. Espresso
machines, grinders, water, lighting, sound systems, live streaming, judges and
volunteers from around the country, and energetic and passionate
baristas, all of whom have been working tirelessly to make this such a
wonderful event. The winners of the regionals get to participate on a
national level at the United States Barista Competition, which will be held in
Jon Ferguson of Dogwood Coffee Company, St. Paul MN, served up the best cup of coffee Steve has ever had during the Brewers Cup Competition. http://www.dogwoodcoffee.com
As a former competitor with three regional third place finishes and a sixth place finish at the United States Barista Competition in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006, I know first hand the level of excellence these competitions bring out in a barista's skill, knowledge, and passion. Knowing what is at stake, being on the other side as a judge, I found just as much pressure to assure consistent and correct evaluation of the many competitors that participated this weekend. My two other fellow judges, Neil Balkom, from Crop to Cup, and Jess Brooks, with Allegro Coffee, and I had eye opening experiences, which began in the compulsory round one format—which had all twenty competitors brew the same coffee and then be tasted blindly. This round allows for an even playing field to showcase brewing skills and coffees attributes to the fullest. The top six participants in each region then moved on to compete in the finals round. In the final round, the brewers got to bring their own special coffee and showcase it during a ten minute routine. We judge their results based on aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, and overall; and then critiqued their taste descriptors, customer service, and overall performance. This was actually the highlight for us judges because you can see first hand the brewing tools and apparatus used to create their brew, extraction nuances, and best of all the incredible coffees.
Steve during Brewers Cup Finals; sitting to his right is Neil Balkcom from http://croptocup.com/index.php and time keeping is Joe Morrocco from http://www.cafeimports.com/
It was during this event I had one of those life changing coffee experiences. To say I had the best cup of coffee ever put in front of me might be an understatement. I was simply stunned, almost speechless, and in total wonderment, that coffee could taste and smell so elegant, pristine, and beautiful. It brought me back to when I had my first ever real great espresso, which made my mind up that I was going to open up my own coffee shop. This is the kind of experience that changes people forever. The growth and learning that I walked away with this weekend is one that happens all the time for me in this industry. There is so much effort put into making coffee from seed to cup, it dumbfounds me how complex a product can be. Thanks to all of the great competitors that I learned so much from over a couple days. You have inspired me so much!
The Coffee Culture was strong in Kansas City. https://www.theroasterie.com
Steve having a single origin expresso at Parisi Cafe in Union Station, Kansas City. http://www.parisicoffee.com
I would like to personally thank all of the wonderful people involved with making this weekend one to remember. Just as when I competed, I'm taking home with me a feeling of having bettered myself, motivated to improve my own cafe, reflect on my experiences, and most of all to share my passion and knowledge with my staff, customers, and fellow coffee enthusiasts in our area—to better promote the wonderful world of coffee. Thanks once again to the SCAA, PT's Coffee, and Kaldi's Coffee, all of the national sponsors, volunteers, and especially the barista's who worked to hard to make great coffee!
Regards,
Steve Fritzen
Comments
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?