What is a barista and why are they so important to Tazza D’Oro?

The Specialty Coffee Association defines a barista as “a person who is a master of the espresso machine and makes coffee for a living.” The “makes coffee for a living” part is way too simplified. Being a barista is a skill and craft – requiring a desire to master the art of coffee preparation (not easy to do) and a strong passion for coffee!

Over the past several months the baristi at Tazza D’Oro have endured intensive training and my hovering while they prepare your drinks (also not easy). First off, the coffee we use must be superior – that’s why we use Batdorf and Bronson – then having a good espresso machine, we use a La Marzacco, good water, good operating knowledge of the machine, and good knowledge of the coffee bean all blends together to create the possibility of a great espresso. The key and the most difficult part is that having all those components in place may yield a good espresso, but what makes a really great espresso? The barista!

A true barista, in our definition, can take all the necessary components, the technical skill and knowledge of the coffee and make adjustments as necessary to “coax” out all the yummy, goodness of the espresso (really complicated). A good barista requires a whole bunch of training, practice and experience – Tazza D’Oro happens to have 8 staff (Rachel, Antonio, Pat, Braden, Emily, Mark, Jodi and Carolynne) who have proven their passion and commitment to becoming true baristi. Next time you are in have one of the barista show you what it takes to make a great espresso drink – including steaming the milk to make espresso art on your latte.