In just a few short years, a subculture has evolved in the specialty coffee industry that focuses on baristas and their craft. The barista, the technical name for someone who operates an espresso machine, is a respected career in many European countries, especially Italy where the first shots of espresso were pulled in the early 1900s. Given the relatively short history of specialty coffee in the U.S., however, many early baristas were young 20-somethings who couldn't tell a macchiato from a mocha.

Since then, baristas (or baristi, the proper plural form in Italian) in the U.S. have elevated their skills in pursuit of espresso perfection. They've started a nationwide network called the Barista Guild of America, organized and hosted barista "jams" and "throwdowns," and entered into regional, national, and international competitions. To serve this continuously growing community, Barista Magazine began publication two years ago and quickly has become the proverbial bible for baristas around the country (and world).

The cover of the February/March 2007 issue of Barista Magazine features Alterra's very own Barista Training Specialist, Scott Lucey. In addition to training our wholesale accounts and café employees, Scott is active in the barista scene. He served as a technical judge in the 2006 U.S. Barista Championship in Charlotte, NC, has placed in the finals of the Millrock Latte Art Competitions at the past two Coffee Fests, and will enter the 2007 U.S. Barista Championship in Long Beach, CA, in early May. Just last month he made his very first trip to "origin" (i.e., a coffee-producing country) and spent a week in El Salvador with fellow baristas from Idaho and Washington, DC.

Scott's passion for espresso and the barista profession (some might say geekiness) is a reflection of our collective commitment to sourcing, roasting, and serving great coffees.