Baristas battle in specialty coffees

Ah, the rich aroma, the exotic taste of a well-brewed cup of coffee. Redolent of beans harvested from misty mountain slopes, coffee wakes us up in the morning, entices us into the nearest cafe and fuels our bursts of creativity during the workday.

Coffee aficionados can get their fix of caffeine and watch the best cafe baristas in the East this weekend at two simultaneous coffee competitions in "For the Love of Coffee," presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The competitors will ply their skills Friday through Sunday at the Pittsburgh Marriott North, Cranberry, in either the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic Regional Barista Competitions. Local baristas participate in the Mid-Atlantic competition. Attendees also can browse an accompanying trade show.

"We've never hosted the event before; it's usually held in New York, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C.," says Ed Wethli, 46, of Kiva Han Coffee Co., a Cranberry coffee purveyor and one of the event sponsors. "It's big for Pittsburgh to get this. We had to be approved."

About 60 baristas will compete in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic competitions. The finals for both regions will be Sunday. Winners from each region will be awarded all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the national competition later this year in Portland, Ore.

"Most competitions host only the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast regions," Wethli says. "We're hosting both, which is big. The event really heightens what specialty coffee is."

In 15 minutes, each barista will brew 12 specialty beverages -- four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks -- using music, choreography and patter.

"It is very entertaining," Wethli says. "It's very theatrical."

It may be fun for the audience, but competitors will perform before four "sensory judges" who will watch the barista and taste the coffees; two technical judges who will evaluate how the competitor used the machines and the size of the drinks; and a head judge, who will preside over all.

In addition to making the coffees with precision and flair, baristas will tell the audience where the coffee beans came from, whether from a small village in Mexico or the slopes of a mountain in Sumatra.

"One of the things that's really good about this event is showing people how much goes into their coffee," says Luke Shaffer, 32, co-owner with his wife, Alexis, of 21st Street Coffee in the Strip District. "There's a ton of labor, effort and care in producing coffee, getting it out of the country (of origin) and then having someone who cares enough to present it well. ... It will highlight coffee as a drink on its own."

Shaffer helped train some of the local baristas on two recent weekends at Kiva Han Coffee in Cranberry.

"The main thing I tried to emphasize was how to properly pour a good shot of espresso," says Shaffer, who will also compete. The drinks prepared during the competition "all contain a shot of espresso," he says.

Dana Waelde, 26, of Bloomfield, a barista at Crazy Mocha in Oakland who will compete, says she realized from the training that she was focusing on some things that weren't as important in the competition, such as doing latte art, those creative designs in the latte foam. "It's not necessary to do it," she says.

"I'm working on my signature beverage," says Waelde, who already has created a signature coffee roast blend used in all the Crazy Mocha franchises.

Wethli believes Pittsburgh was approved as the competition site because "Pittsburgh is very up-and-coming. There is a real presence in Pittsburgh for the specialty coffee industry. ... Pittsburghers consume a lot of coffee."

While entry to the competition and accompanying trade show, For the Love of Coffee, is free, attendees can spend $10 to eat desserts prepared each day by nine local restaurants and food purveyors. They are the Springfield Grill, Bar Louie, North Country Brewing Co., McGinnis Sisters, The Fig Tree, Sweethouse Bake Shop, Fresh Cup Cafe, Mimi's Bake Shop and the Marriott. The Crazy Mocha chain will set up a coffee bar and sell specialty drinks for $3. Proceeds from the coffee and dessert buffet will go to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.

If you like coffee but just can't seem to duplicate the mellow flavor of your favorite cafe or restaurant, take some tips from Ed Wethli of Kiva Han Coffee Co. for brewing great coffee:

• Buy coffee that has been fresh-roasted within the past two weeks, and buy only enough for two weeks. "There's oil in the beans," Wethli says. That oil dries up in a couple of weeks, and you want to release that oil when you brew.

• When you get the beans home, roll up the bag, put it in an airtight container and place in a cool, dry place. The freezer is best.

• Grind the beans fresh each time you brew a pot to release the oil.

• Use a brewer hot enough to extract the oils. Wethli recommends the Cuisinart grind and brewer or a French press pot. He also recommends a cone-shaped filter, rather than a flat filter.

• Use filtered water, as minerals in unfiltered water can affect the taste of coffee.

Looking for a different cup of coffee to warm your winter mornings or accompany your evening dessert• Ed Wethli, owner of Kiva Han coffee purveyors, suggests two specialty drinks to whet your winter palate.

Cafe de Olla

• 8 cups water

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3 whole cloves

4• ounces brown sugar

1 square semi-sweet chocolate

• 4 ounces ground coffee

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and chocolate. When the mixture comes back to a boil, skim off the foam.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the coffee. Steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the coffee grounds and spices. Serve immediately.

• 2 cups hot coffee

• 1/2 cup milk

• 4 tablespoons honey

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat all ingredients until warm, but not boiling. Stir well to dissolve the honey, and serve.

Additional Information:

'For the Love of Coffee'

What : Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Barista Competitions of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and coffee trade show

When : 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday

Admission : Free, but a dessert buffet will offer desserts for $10; specialty coffee will be available for $3.

Where : Pittsburgh Marriott North, 100 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry

Details : 724-772-2326