The best Starbucks barista in the world is crowned in Las Vegas
If any group of people could be said to be morning people, it would be Starbucks employees, the purveyors of a.m. fuel to the globe. And here they were Wednesday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, about 14,000 partners (as they’re called in company speak) filling the arena well before 7 a.m.
A dance version of “Livin’ on a Prayer” bumped from the sound system; a DJ in sunglasses and shiny black harem pants nodded her head vigorously to the beat. Starbucks crown and mermaid logos populated the digital band course that circles the arena beneath the upper tier. A spinning wooden globe topped by a crown was placed at center stage, making the point about Starbucks’ planetary hegemony.
Keke Palmer, the actress and singer, whose new album drops June 20, appeared briefly to add a shot of celebrity to the brew.
“I’m a new mom, so my love and appreciation for coffee has skyrocketed — morning, noon and night,” she said, waving in sparkly ruby red stilettos.
At this tent revival-slash-humongous coffee klatch, the Starbucks faithful danced in the aisles and clapped branded pool noodles and cheered lustily when the announcer bellowed that the final round of the first-ever Starbucks Global Barista Championship was about to start.
Getting to the final four
The contest began more than a year ago with 84,000-plus baristas. That throng was narrowed to a dozen semifinalists: six representing global regions, six representing the Starbucks Reserve Roasteries around the world. The semi-finalists competed on Monday and Tuesday in several categories, including blind coffee tasting and performance during peak hours, with four moving to the finals.
On Wednesday, the finalists demonstrated their skills in latte art, coffee roasting and crafting a signature drink from two coffee house counters at either side of the stage. In the end, Nobuki (Starbucks does not release full names), representing Japan, was crowned the inaugural world champion, winning a trip to every Starbucks Reserve Roastery and a spot on North American menus for a signature pour.
The competition leading up to the announcement was just as compelling as the announcement itself, opening a window on how Starbucks remains Starbucks — from Pike Place to Shanghai — by harnessing partner passion.
Brewing connections
Sumayyah, representing Europe, Middle East and Africa, took the stage first; one of the big screens showed her mother. “You got this!” someone cried out in the crowd. For her signature drink, she prepared an iced cardamom honey shaken espresso, a mingling of citrus, spice and a sweet finish.
“This drink is going to bring East and West together — just like Starbucks brings us all together,” Sumayyah said.
Takahiro, from the Tokyo Reserve Roastery, prepared the roastery’s microblend with “a sesame-like roasted aroma and a citrusy sweetness.” Coffee, he said a few moments before, “has the power to inspire human connection.”
Chico competed for Shanghai Reserve Roastery. He showed an especially dexterous hand at latte art, fashioning intricate, elegant images of fronds and leaves. Chico planted his own coffee tree in Sumatra, and for each latte leaf he created, he said he imagined a leaf growing on the tree.
‘You matter’
When Nobuki from Japan, the eventual winner, walked onto the stage, his front-row fans cheered him with yells of “coffee samurai!” in Japanese. He unfurled an extended anecdote (storytelling being a Starbucks pillar) about a warming cup of coffee his mother brought him before a school exam, and how that warmth (literally and figuratively) informs his work as a barista. He serves drinks, in keeping with Japanese culture, with two hands.
“It’s not just a gesture,” he said. “It’s a message that this drink matters, that you matter.”
When Nobuki was announced as the winner, the arena gave him a standing ovation.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.