Last night baristas from around the city gathered at Everyman Espresso to let off a little steam (har har) and compete in the first round of what will ultimately be an NYC vs. D.C. latte art throwdown.
Throwdown!
Disheartening amounts of good milk and excellent Counter Counter coffee were sent down the drain, but many other beverages were partaken of, numerous dance moves were shown off, a rather competitive coffee community did some seemingly needed bonding, and the true milk-and-foam artisans made themselves known...
Twenty contestants were pared down to 16, and based on their scores — three judges rated each latte on a 1-10 scale for a possible high of 30 points per cup — they faced-off bracket style. And lest you think this was confined to an odd little movie-theater-cum-coffee-bar on E. 13th St., au contraire. There was live streaming and messaging, and each photo was immediately posted to Flickr, where the judges — from various locations around the country — did their judging. All of which was projected onto the ceiling.
A very transparent election, one might say.
While the ladies dominated the crowd, in the end two fellas, Dan and Tommy, went head to head for the crown: fame, fortune (the $100 pot from each entrant ponying up $5), a 1st Place pumpkin trophy, and an 8-ounce bag of coffee-lovers-gold, La Esmeralda. In the end, Dan (high-fiving in blue below) was declared the champion, and so will go on to compete against the eventual D.C. winner.
Who will be declared Champion of Foam?...
Above, the final two entries, after one underwent an unfortunate poke.
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