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June 9, 2003THE ART OF COFFEE: Champion barista shares tips for the bestMELANIE TACOMARecord-Eagle staff writer If the only thing you know about your daily cup of java is that you like it hot and black, well, read on. Those up-to-date with cafe culture, know that a barista is the person behind the coffee bar, manning the espresso machine and turning out cappuccinos and lattes. For some baristas, however, coffee is about more than a caffeine fix. It's an art.
Though Vick has only been in the coffee industry for a year and a half professionally, he grew up drinking coffee with his dad and visiting friends at cafes, where he offered a hand when he could. He was in Traverse City recently to conduct training at the new Espresso Bay. "I've been in the coffee culture as long as I can remember," Vick said. "It's always been a big part of my life." The 6-foot tall barista with an engineering degree from Washington University worked at a coffee shop part-time during college. When he was laid off from a job at a software company, he began working at Zoka Coffee in Seattle full time. "I had a lot of knowledge about coffee already and had done a lot of research on my own, but once I was working at Zoka I started going to conventions," he said. "You can't stop learning." And there's a lot to learn about espresso. Making a good shot of espresso involves managing variables such as the age, grind and roast of the coffee, the pressure in the machine and other factors. He also explained that the flavor of the coffee changes with the way it's processed and where it's grown. "If I'm given a Yeoman, Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee, I'll know exactly where it's from," he said. Vick brought his knowledge to the North American Barista Championship in Boston in April, where he took third place. At the competition, Vick would begin getting ready about three hours in advance by preparing his cart, whipping cream for his signature drink, practicing on the machine and choosing the roast of the coffee. The taste varies based on weather, humidity, the machine and the age of the coffee beans. "You don't get very good coffee from beans that are roasted that same day," Vick said. "My coffee was all between two and six days old." Competitors are required not only to make drinks, but to set the presentation table with creamers, sugars and condiments. They have a total of 45 minutes to do it all, including cleanup, while preparing four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks of their choice. "You need to have all the things you'd find at a cafe," Vick said. "You're thinking about everything the whole time. You're miked up and on a big TV screen and there are cameramen and judges ... it's stressful." But worth the effort. And so Vick doesn't think too highly of some coffee chains that use fully automatic espresso machines, which only require the espresso maker to push a button. "A lot of baristas feel they do take away from the art of what you're doing," he said. "Also, they don't really allow you to alter what you do for the customer." Following is Vick's signature recipe for Espresso Colada, which he used in the North American competition. "I liked the idea of doing something with coconut," he said. "I ran across an old pina colada recipe, and it used cream of coconut." Vick's original signature drink was complicated to make and involved a lot of ingredients, he said. He whittled the recipe down until it became the drink he took to the championship. "(The drink) tasted better as I took more out," he said. "It brought out some of the sweeter notes in the espresso." Stephen Vick's Espresso Colada In a Martini Shaker add: 2 shots espresso 1 T. coconut milk 2 T. cream of coconut Add ice. (Pouring espresso over ice tends to bitter the espresso, so it is best to add ice at the end.) Shake and pour. Top with espresso/coconut-infused whipped cream that includes four shots of espresso, 3 T. coconut syrup, and heavy whipping cream in a CO2-charged whip cream dispenser. Finally, sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top. Coffee, coffee everywhereMELANIE TACOMARecord-Eagle staff writer If the large number of cafes offering specialized coffee drinks is any indication, Traverse City has a burgeoning coffee culture. In the past two weeks alone two new cafes, Crema and Espresso Bay, opened on Front Street. Alice Campsmith, who with husband Brad also owns Good Harbor Coffee & Bakery, explained that Crema offers an extended menu and more seating than is available at Good Harbor. She attributes the increased demand for coffee to the area's growing population. "A lot of people are moving in from other areas and are used to having a little coffee shop they can go to," she said. Campsmith also stressed that customers are interested in more than just coffee. "The people of Traverse City demand quality service, and are very loyal," she said. "They want to see smiling faces, and someone happy to serve them." In addition to the new downtown cafes, Starbucks was scheduled to open a branch in the Traverse City Meijer today. The coffee giant plans to open cafes in 30 other Meijer stores in Michigan. Ann Mcrae, perishable lines team leader at Meijer of Traverse City, explained that Meijer is responding to a demand for coffee. "We're really excited," Mcrae said. "We just finished training and can't wait for the opening."
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