Thoughts from a Barista…
Coffee.
I get asked daily about this product. I am asked anything from brewing techniques to something as simple as what the point of coffee is. Some questions come easily for me while others take research.
That is why I do this though. It is a learning process for me just as much as it is for the customer. I can guarantee if you ask me a question about coffee that I do not know the answer to, I will have the answer for you by the time you walk out of our door. I have just as many questions as the next person, and sometimes the customer thinks of something I have never thought of.
Simply put, the best thing for everyone is education between the barista and the customer. As long as we, as an industry, are discovering new things about coffee I can promise you I will be working in the coffee industry and always learning more about it. I do not see any signs of this industry ever learning everything we can, so I also will not stop educating myself as a barista.
Coffee is a product that over the years I have grown to love. Even though it is sometimes frustrating to pull the perfect shot or pour the perfect rosetta, seeing the smile on someone’s face when I push their drink across the counter makes it all worth it. Everything that I have worked so hard for is incased in that one moment when I see a customer’s satisfaction in the product I am serving them. It is a great experience, and something I believe we, as the staff of The Coffee Ethic, really strive for.
My goal is to daily educate people and be educated about coffee. It is something that I strive for at the shop and at home. I am constantly learning and am eager to share my knowledge. I don’t know even half of what there is out their about coffee but very few do. The coffee industry is always pushing forward so we are all learning as a community. Lucky for me though, I have a few great teachers within arms reach whenever I need them.
So pull a chair up to the bar and have a talk with any of my fellow baristas or me. We are excited about coffee and want to share the excitement with you.
After all at the end of the day, the point of coffee is simply to taste good.
-Jacque
