Last Monday, I attended my very first Latte Art Throwdown!
Hosted by 3 Bean Coffee in Fed Hill (which did a phenomenal job making sure the event ran smoothly), 26 competitors battled it out through 15 rounds to win cash and awesome coffee products.
The participating baristas came from coffee shops such as Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Passenger Coffee Roaster, Atwaters in Canton, Ceremony Coffee Roasters in Harbor Point, 3 Bean Coffee, etc. Even regulars from 3 Bean got in on the action too.
When I walked through the doors of 3 Bean Coffee, the place was already packed with a bunch of people and a lively vibe. Pizza was being served and Diamondback Brewing Company was supplying an IPA for some beer goodness. As I devoured my pizza and beer, the employees randomly called out to the crowd for a third judge with no coffee experience. Although I drink dirty chais and black coffee on the regular, I don’t know anything about coffee. So, I volunteered and from there, I became a judge for almost three hours. The other two judges were a regular from 3 Bean and a coffee expert from Passenger Coffee.
As the judges and I took our spots in front of the counter where the latte art magic was going to take place, we were handed out a piece of paper that detailed how we should judge each latte art.
In order for us not to be barista biased, we had to turn around each round as the latte art was being made. After the lattes were done, we were given the signal to turn back around and judge each cup.
Sam, a barista from 3 Bean, ended up winning. Below is a picture of the winning latte art:
The competition was intense. Everyone brought their A game, and the pressure was on. All the baristas made great latte art, and even though people lost, no one was disheartened due to the positive and exciting vibe coming from the crowd and the competitors. It was such a fun, feel good event. I got to meet so many awesome people that I would love to hang out with in the future!
So if you ever get the chance to come across a latte art throwdown event, I highly suggest you go. Not only will you be wow’ed by all the skills and expertise from the baristas, but you will get high off the feeling of being surrounded by people who are creative, passionate, and fun! I can tell you I’ll definitely be at the next one!
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3 Bean Coffee
209 Key Hwy, Baltimore, MD 21230
Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.| Sat.-Sun. 7:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
(410) 216-3339
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