Friday, August 29, 2014

The 2014 Philippine National Barista Championship


Nothing beats a whiff of coffee aroma in the morning right? Or a good conversation of business and/ or matters of the heart over a steamy or cold coffee concoction.   Whether you are a coffee connoisseur or a regular instant coffee drinker, without it, it can make life less tastier, or even dull and unexciting.

Coffee drinking has become a habit for many, stats are increasing all over the world.  It would explain the growth of coffee shops emerging at every bend of the streets.  With the habit, more and more cappuccino and espresso cups are being emptied, and a great call for more baristas is on the rise, specially as the "third wave" coffee experience is gaining more popularity.  

Luckily, I belong to a country that not only have vast lands growing some of the best coffee beans but also a good pool of well-trained baristas who can whip up a plethora of coffee concoction and delight you with an aforable design on it, without being a show off.

On this note, I'm thrilled to announce the staging of the 2nd Philippine National Barista Championship on October 15 to 17.  This will take place at Resorts World Manila.


Allegro's Beverage Corporation, the country's leading provider of complete beverage solutions have tied its partnership with the Association of Filipino Baristas Inc.  (AFBI).  Allegro being the sole organizer of the event have also announced another partnership with the country's premier integrated lifestyle hub - Resorts World Manila.  

The official statement was made by Allegro's President snd General Manager, (who also is one good-looking guy) Leo H.  De Leon.  RWM have pledged their support to the PNBC competition as the exclussive Platinum Sponsor, and together with Allegro and the people behind the prestigious event, they hoped to encourage and recognize professional achievement in the art and skill of espresso beverage preparation and service.

The announcements were made formal with the presence of some chosen bloggers who enjoyed an afternoon with sumptuous snacks from Maxim Hotel's The Terrace, and of course hand-crafted coffee brought to us by Allegro and Kevin Israel Fortu.  

The World Barista Championship is the most distinguished international coffee competition produced every year by the World Coffee Events (WCE).  It is the culmination of regional and local events around the globe.  This opportunity, made possible by PNBC have paved way for our  Filipino baristas to showcase their coffee making talents.  

It was our first time to join this year's competion and had our flag represented at the 2014 WBC last June 9 to 12 in Rimini, Italy by none other than Kevin Israel Fortu.  Fortu, the reigning Philippine National Barista Champion who competed against 54 National Champions from all over the world, have given our country's coffee industry an excellent exposure.  



To the true aficionados, with the likes of Leo De Leon and Kevin Fortu, making coffee is both an art and a science.

As what we have learned from that afternoon's coffee 101, different beans have different taste profiles, based upon their origin, elevation,  drying and  process methods and how they are roasted.  The same learnings I had at the recently concluded Coffee Creations event sometime last, last week at the Resorts World Manila.

Different brew methods will bring out, different characteristics of the same beans based upon the extraction time, also the flow rate and water temp have to be taken note of as well.  These are the science behind how a perfectly brewed coffee gets in to your cups.

The artful components is in savoring your perfectly made espresso complete with its crema or how your favorite barista delights you with his coffee art of the day.

The texture of the freshly ground quality coffee ( Coffee beans are from Allegro)

Showing tbe crema on Fortu's Espresso drip.  

"A sweet, creamy, balanced extraction produces a thick caramel  colored crema on top of a dark brown body, and this is only achieved through the right flow rate, " as what De Leon told us.


After establishing the perfect espresso, time to move up with cappuccino.  The basic make up of a cappuccino is roughly 1/3 coffee, 1/3 hot milk and 1/3 frothed or foamed milk.  See that white milk froth resembling a Cappuccin monk's white cap?  Yes, that's another history education of the famous coffee drink origin.


Seen on the top photo, is Fortu making a latte art.  




Latte art is worth pursuing for, it's the crowning glory of a good cup of  cafe latte or cappuccino.  It's definitely what art is all about on coffee.  The photo above is a fine example of a typical rosetta design made by Fortu.
All of these and more,  so much more, to expect on the upcoming 2014 Philippine National Barista Championship.

See you there at Resorts World Manila on October 15 to 17, 2014.  

For more information, visit the competition's official website, www.philippinenationalbaristachampionship.com.


















1 comment:

I would love to hear your thoughts on my post, care for a comment?