USA’s Best Barista is from…..Chicago, of Course!
March 17, 2009 by Steve
Filed under Breaking News
The best baristas in the United States battled for the title of United States Barista Champion and Mike Phillips from Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago emerged the victor. The 2009 United States Barista Championship (USBC), presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and hosted by DaVinci Gourmet (www.davincigourmet.com), was held March 5-8 in Portland, OR at the Oregon Convention Center. Nick Griffith of Intelligentsia Coffee in Los Angeles, CA, placed second and Scott Lucey of Alterra Coffee in Milwaukee, WI, placed third.
Phillips, who has been working at Intelligentsia Coffee (www.intelligentsiacoffee.com) in Chicago for three years, two as a barista, said, “Winning in a field of competitors at this high of a caliber is one of the most humbling experiences of my life. It is truly an honor.”
As the reigning United States Barista Champion, Phillips will go on to represent the United States in the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Atlanta, Georgia, April 16-19, 2009, hosted by the SCAA in conjunction with its annual exposition, which is the largest gathering of coffee professionals in the world. Photos of the new U.S. Barista Champion can be downloaded at http://twitchy.org/usbc2009/.
