Thursday, April 25, 2002


we coffee lovers are at their mercy. . .

i mean, you can acquire the freshest beans, exquisitely roasted, blended to perfectly balance the flavor. you can plug in a $2,000 commercial espresso machine and let it warm up for an hour. you can ensure that the machine is filled with the purest water. and you can grind your lovely beans with a precision grinder. but still your espresso is often a disaster. why?

the barista! only a barista is capable of taking these elements and turning them into a delightful cup.

but who do we usually get for baristas? bored teens who'd rather be talking to their friends at the gap? harried bartenders, pushing buttons in between sour apple martinis? until baristas get better pay, better training, and respect, we won't see much good coffee here in new york! it needs to become a recognized profession, a real vocation, a career path. . .

and some wise people in australia have the light. . . in response to complaints of bad coffee, the government of australia has stepped up to the plate, creating a set of regulations to define the barista, to standardize their training, and to elevate the position. soon eager coffee lovers will go in one door and emerge from another, transformed by technical knowledge and expertise!

with this serious attitude, how long will it be before australia will be able to boast the world's best coffee?

posted by fortune | 7:18 PM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments