My first “real” introduction to barista life was in 2016. I’d technically worked in coffee shops as a dishwasher or bar-back before then, but never a barista, where I wield the power to create a tasting experience for a customer.
In May, I started working at my first ever third wave coffee shop (a.k.a. coffee for snobs) and began embarking on the craft of latte art.
July 24, 2020
These photos represent the journey I have been on thus far. The end result is nothing special and I feel just as lost as ever. Nonetheless, it is symbolic of time passing and change taking place, even when I cannot perceive it myself.
I’ll admit, I was never really “into” the whole latte art thing, and I’m still not, not really.
Is it pretty? Yes, no doubt. The Instagram influencers really have a field day when that one co-worker, our resident latte art master, is on bar. Does it enhance the tasting experience? Yes, if done correctly. I think half of these baristas have compromised looks over flavor, myself included, and therefore my respect for them lessens. Is it easy to do? Hell fucking no, at least not for me. As you can tell from this post, my latte art progression has taken well over a month to perfect and it’s not even that great as it is now. Granted, I hardly ever practice, so I’m sure that contributes greatly to my results, or lack thereof.
Maybe my reserve for latte art is a defensive response. Since I’m not very good at it, I allow myself not care and, therefore, belittle its value.
Here we are, Winter 2020 is basically upon us, and though I question my capabilities and skills every second of every day, I can now say that I can dependably produce ok-ish looking latte art 85% of the time. And that’s ok.
Lesson: Today is Colorado’s first (and somewhat unexpected) cold front. The snow has just begun to fall and it has put me in a pensive mood. Got me thinking about changing seasons, the progression of time, and transformation.
Take it With A Grain of Rice 