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April 17, 2006
BY JERRY SHRIVER
Every morning, the question lingers in the air like a whiff of shade-grown, medium-roasted Sumatra beans: Could this country -- indeed, could humanity -- function without our battalions of espresso-expediting, cappuccino-capping, caffeine-coordinating neighborhood baristas?
Thanks to folks such as Matthew Riddle, we shall never have to find out.
Riddle -- who works for Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea on the North Side -- bested 44 other competitors to win the U.S. Barista Championships a week ago in Charlotte, N.C.
The annual four-day competition sponsored by Krups, known for its coffee makers, requires each barista to serve 12 coffee drinks -- four espressos, four cappuccinos and four original drinks -- within 15 minutes to a panel of judges.
"You have to be poised and create an environment that's inviting and comforting for the judges, like they're having a fine-dining experience," said Riddle, 27, who works at Intelligentsia's roasting works and wholesale offices at 1850 W. Fulton.
He won $1,000, a trophy, a $300 espresso machine and a trip to the seventh annual World Barista Championships in Bern, Switzerland, from May 19 to 21.
In addition to possessing dexterity, decaf-nerves and technical acumen, the secret to enlightened coffee service is to understand "every step of the process, all the way back to the coffee cherry on the tree," Riddle said.
He started working for Intelligentsia at its store on Broadway. These days, he's a graphic artist for the company and rarely makes coffee for customers.
But he'll get back to coffee-making for the April 28 opening of Intelligentsia's new store at 53 E. Randolph.
A BETTER BREWThese tips come from Matthew Riddle, who works at the West Fulton Street roasting works and wholesale offices of Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea. Riddle recently won the U.S. Barista Championships. • Brew your coffee to 200 degrees. Use a cooking thermometer to be sure. If your coffee maker can't get the water that hot, brew your coffee to the highest temperature it will go. • For every six ounces of water, use two level tablespoons of coffee. • Don't leave the coffee on the burner for too long; the taste will become bitter and astringent. Rummana Hussain |
Gannett News Service, with Rummana Hussain contributing
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