We are very excited to announce our 5th annual in-house barista competition, this Sunday, August 11, @ 6:30pm at our Roasterie location, #23, 2701, 16th St. SE.

Here’s how the competition works: each competitor has 15 minutes to prepare and serve 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 signature beverages to a panel of judges. A signature beverage is an espresso based drink that the competitor designs, which may contain any ingredient the barista chooses, except alcohol. While they prepare the drinks, the competitor presents on a coffee related topic of their choosing. The judges give scores based on the quality of the drinks served, the quality of the presentation, the technical skill of the barista, the level of customer service, and overall cleanliness.

There are five competitors this year: Megan Feniak, Matthew Hall, David Kim, Benjamin Put, and Albert Sarasith. The top two competitors from the in-house will represent Phil & Sebastian at the Prairie Regional Barista Competition in Red Deer on August 23-25.

Admission is free. Wine and beer will be available for purchase with proceeds going towards sponsoring coffee projects for farmers in Colombia. The Guzman Brothers used last year’s proceeds to purchase a moisture meter to better track the drying of their coffee, which is a critical step in coffee processing.

These competitions are always fun and are a great way for baristas and customers to hangout outside of the café!