Tilt. Stir. Sip. Assess. Sip. Listen. Look. Sip. Taste. Enjoy.

For the last seven years, I have judged regional, state and national barista competitions. In 2009 and 2010 respectively, I judged at the World Barista Championships (WBC) in Atlanta and London. I am head judge of the National Barista Championships and have recently been re-accredited as a WBC judge – along with four other Australians. And so next month, I head to Columbia to again judge at the WBC.

It’s voluntary. It’s time-consuming. It’s a little stressful sometimes. So it begs the question, why do it and what does it all mean?

Allow me a brief digression to outline the essence of competition, for those not familiar with the competitive barista circuit:

In 15 minutes a barista has to serve the best coffees of his or her life to four ‘sensory’ or tasting judges that will ascribe points to their drinks. They need to do so under the very watchful eye of two technical judges scrutinising their every move and a head judge guiding the process. They serve, to each judge, an espresso, cappuccino (without the chocolate, as per the rest of the world) and a coffee focused, unique ‘signature drink’. During this time, competitors also need to reveal an understanding of the journey coffee takes to arrive on the table and be able to describe to the judges what coffee they are using and where it came from. And amidst all this technicality, the judges also want to see a genuine passion for the bean.

You might now wonder, as I have, why on earth do baristas put themselves through this? After spending weeks and sometimes months training and searching for the ultimate coffee, why would you put yourself under such scrutiny? Many baristas will search out the best coffee, some going to great lengths to hone their skills. But why compete?

If you’re not a coffee drinker, you might as well stop reading here. You will never understand.

I suppose there is an element of satisfaction that comes by having the recognition of success in a competition. I’m sure some see it as an excellent learning process and opportunity to get high-level feedback on what they do. Others use it to expose the craft of the barista and the role it plays in our daily lives. No doubt, it is different for every barista but I, for one, am grateful they do it. To celebrate this craft with such commitment to excellence pays great homage to those putting in so much sweat and effort on coffee farms around the world. Baristas are the drivers of the industry and the ones that make all the effort behind the scenes worthwhile.

So back to my original question, why be a judge? Why give so much time and energy in this forum?

As with the competitors, there are many motivations. Its not often you get to enjoy a vast array of flavours provided by very different coffees in one sitting. To see baristas on their individual journeys of discovery, relishing the wonder of what they are finding is always inspiring.

Judging at a world level is thoroughly captivating – watching baristas from all corners of the globe display their coffee knowledge and sharing stories of farms in distant lands. It is humbling to see the outcome of months of work finding amazing coffee, working out the roast profile and mastering their perfect extraction to be at its finest during their 15 minutes of glory.

So what makes this entry a confession? It is a confession to say that despite 15 years in the coffee industry, judging at barista comps makes me acutely aware of just how much I have to learn. Competitive baristas bring so much to the table. As a judge, I have the tools to assess and compare but it’s the baristas that teach me about new ways to make coffee, exposing me to new farms, new varieties grown in different regions and new ways to communicate about coffee. It is not the outcome alone that surprises.

Why would you not want to be in a place where amazing coffees are tenderly prepared, delivered with excellence and placed in front a lucky few.

Indeed lucky, and humbled, I am.