The Art of Espresso

Some people bemoan paying $4 for a latte at Starbucks. However, I would gladly spend much more than $4 for any one of these artistic lattes.

Maybe it’s the coffee freak in me, but I was mesmerized by the artistic expressions from this espresso artist. Sure, it takes time to create such art atop a latte. But I think you’ll agree … the little time it takes makes a big difference.

Comments

[Thomas]

Wow. Impressive, and fun. I'd pay more too, with a nice tip to boot. Where is this person located? You could build a nice little brand around this concept, eh? Small chain, swanky locations (or airports), all stores are arts-forward espresso houses (like the cool little ones you see all over Northern Italy), with well-trained artspresso makers all making folks happy to pay $6 or $7 for a l'artte. I think it'd work well for the "what's beyond Starbucks?" coffee lover. Hey, if Cinnabon can build a brand around the irresistable smell of a premium-priced swirl of spicy bread, someone could pull off the artspresso concept as a scaleable business model.

[RichW]

There's now probably at least one barista in every just about every decent sized city in the US who can pull most if not all of this stuff off. A guy from Kearney, Nebraska took 7th place in this year's United States Barista Championship. No, I have no idea where the hell that is either.

And no, latte art is not something to build a "brand" from on a mass scale. The reason for latte art is not simply presentation. Doing latte art requires you have a consistency of microfoam that sweetens and expands the milk and allows it to interact in a more balanced way with the crema and espresso. Bad milkfoam cannot produce latte art, so in that regard, it's a measure of quality of the end product.

Therefore, in order to pull this kind of thing off you need a) near perfect milkfoam, b) near perfect crema, c) a damn good espresso blend.

You can find this at Stumptown in Portland, Intelligentsia in Chicago, Gimme! Coffee in Ithaca and Brooklyn, NY, murkycoffee in DC and hundreds of other retailers nationwide.

But not at any large chains. The dedication needed to do this is beyond what most shops are willing to pay. And you need to have baristi who really love what they're doing - it's not about the art, it's about the quality of the coffee. And you can't fake that that. Well, maybe you could and even make money, but you'd get no respect.

The free pour stuff this artist is doing is the skill that the top baristi judge themselves on. But once you get into the etching, you're getting into gimmicks. A good espresso drink should be served and consumed immediately. Anything that takes away from that reduces the quality.

Additionally, ttching of this sort uses modified syrups meant to float atop the crema or milkfoam. While one can do all sorts of tricks with whatever pointy thing you're using to etch, it's not exactly "natural" nor something that enhances the flavor. Thus, etching is generally frowned up by third wave coffee purists.

The baristi generally considered the best artists don't use etching. Do a search for latte art and you'll find tons of examples - tonx, chris deferio, malachi, david schomer, matt riddle... hundreds of others.

If you haven't yet experienced espresso drinks capable of sustaining latte art, you've simply been going to the wrong places. They're all around you.

[Thomas]

It will be done. Starbucks didn't need to make the first espresso, they popularized it, (and not by expecting people to come find them on their own). Marketing, generally speaking, is where you make people aware of a brand, product, service, you believe they'll want. Branding is constructing a differentiated identity to do it with. You don't need to be the first to do something, you only need to be first in the mind, preferably in a new category. Armani didn't make the first expensive men's suit. Apple did'nt make the first mp3 player. "Artists" often think that what they do is too good to be repeated on large scale. Someone will find a way to build a business and brand out of this.

[Joachim de Posada]

I am so glad you have my book "Don't Eat the Marshmallow yet" in the brand autopsy examining table. I hope you enjoy it. It is still number one best seller in Korea, after 18 weeks. Beat Harry Potter. Hahahah. I widh you the best,
Joachim de Posada

[pravspresso]

Hmmm..i see both sides.

I've been involved in espresso for 1yr now....started slowly..entry level stuff..a total newbie..My skills have risen to the point at which i am entertaining workers with latte art now. One machine home. One at work. Line ups have started at work and i charge of course (2$) for my bean cost and efforts..I found myself envisioning a local shop which would blow away anything within 30 miles. However, I've come to the realization...it's really for the love of it..and not money. Latte Art may be branded eventually who knows.. as consumers become prosumers they will demand more quality as time passes. Bucks has a taken a step backwards...they use automatic espresso machines now (no more skill) just pump it out and get the money.
My decision to keep my love of espresso in house and not go public was spurred on by a
situation in which i had a lineup of 8 people at work. After i finished brewing all (took 40min). The feeling was soul-less, empty and frustrating. Don't get me wrong,I was serving many who appreciated the taste and gave praise to the drink and efforts.
But the experience was soured by mass drinks.
I believe it is possible to mass market and franchise the concept as long as you have good talented people willing to go that extra mile for quality. How is that done? Well if i had a shop..I would divy out a little bit of profit sharing, bonus plans and higher salaries. That is the only way i could see holding onto highly trained baristas and knowledgeable staff. Greed is the killer here...
ps. im ordering some intel. black cat first time try. i hope all the hype is worth it.
I'm told 200 degrees is optimal brew temp.

cheers!!