The Latte With the Best Squiggle Wins

Video

Tasteful Art

Two baristas from Annapolis's Caffe Pronto show off their latte art creations in preparations for the national competition at Coffee Fest.

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The tip of the steam wand on the espresso machine must be submerged in the milk in such a way that a tiny whirlpool is generated, creating what baristas refer to as a micro-bubble lattice: thick, velvety milk that reacts with the crema.

Depending on the desired design, the milk is poured into the coffee at a certain speed or tilt of the cup. Additional subtle moves can coax a tree shape or heart to rise from the foam.

Free pour is not to be confused with the far easier technique of "etching," in which the barista uses an implement, such as a stir-stick, to form a design on the surface of the drink, often with the aid of chocolate sauce.

"You can teach that to anyone in 30 seconds," Iatesta says. No etching is done at Caffe Pronto.

"People don't want you to put things into their drinks after you pour them," Suekoff says.

Latte art is not new. But in the Washington area, the number of practitioners is limited, for the most part, to baristas who work in artisan coffee houses such as Murky, Caffe Pronto, Tryst in Adams Morgan, Baked & Wired in Georgetown and Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale. The culture is far more advanced on the West Coast.

Iatesta credits David Schomer of Seattle, co-owner of Espresso Vivace Roasteria, with elevating the practice to an art. Would-be artists study Schomer's training videos, available at http://www.espressovivace.com.

Schomer, in turn, drew inspiration from Italy.

"As far as I can tell, the Italians have been doing the leaf and the heart since at least 1950," says Schomer, 51. "Latte art has become the mark of the independent, artisan barista. Their pour distinguishes them from the coffee chains."

At Murky Coffee, barista Katie Duris says she spends "maybe too much time" on YouTube and such sites as http://www.ratemyrosetta.com, studying latte art videos and photos.

"Sometimes I'm up all night," says Duris, 24, as she pulls a double shot in preparation for a competition practice session with co-worker and co-competitor Tommy Gallagher, 25. (A caffeine buzz may have something to do with it, too.) "I'm trying to figure it out. When should I shake it? When should I pull back?"

Duris and Gallagher have a more relaxed, fluid style to their pour than the men of Pronto. But the results are similar.

"Katie likes round stuff. I like things a little more billowy," Gallagher says as each pours a rosetta, or graduated tree shape. Then they rate each other's work.

"It's nice, well done. But personally, I'm not into her line down the middle," Gallagher says. "I prefer an implied line."

Duris inspects Gallagher's result. "It loses something up here," she says, pointing to the outer edges of the rosetta. "I'd like it more refined."

For the competition, Gallagher says, he's thinking of trying a laurel wreath design. Duris remains unsure.

"I like tulips. But I can't pour a good tulip," she says. "I'm biased toward a big, fat, symmetrical rosetta. I think they're pretty."