From April 15-18, 2010, Anaheim hosts the United States Barista Championship. Leading up to the competition, Food GPS is showcasing regional barista champions. Meet Mike Marquard from Kaldi’s Coffee in St. Louis, a contender for the American coffee crown:
Josh Lurie: What is it about coffee that inspires you?
Mike Marquard: It can always be different. There are so many points when a farmer, miller, roaster, or barista can choose between a set of options, and each of those options will lead to a different tasting coffee.
JL: What did you learn by competing at the regional competition?
MM: What I need to improve for the USBC. It’s a chance to work through the routine with a panel of diverse and experienced judges. It also makes doing everything with the microphone, audience, and strangers a little less intimidating the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time around.
JL: Did anything catch you off guard at the regional?
MM: Just a outfit change that I should have done 30 minutes early. My prep time for the regional was a bit intense and in a very small space. You can never be over-prepared at a barista competition.
JL: Do you plan to change your approach at all for the USBC?
MM: Yes, I’m changing my approach drastically.
JL: How?
MM: I used Costa Rican coffees in the regional, which are now out of season, and no longer available. I played off of different coffee varietals from the same micro-mill. I don’t have that luxury with our coffees right now, but I do have a stupendous coffee lined up that I’m excited to share. My approach will be a bit more about our approach to variety as an industry, rather than from the farm viewpoint.
JL: What’s your goal at the USBC?
MM: To win. And drink delicious coffee with good people.
JL: What’s the key to a great signature beverage?
MM: Over-saturating the flavor notes of your espresso in a really swank-looking way seems to work for a lot of competitors, but that philosophy of tasting doesn’t sit well with me. The competition is about coffee. To me, a great signature drink makes the coffee stand out even more than as a single espresso.
JL: What’s your approach when choosing music for competitions?
MM: Fun and personal. Not too distracting.
JL: Was there a coffeehouse you didn’t know about before the regional that you now want to try?
MM: Yes. Savage Depot in Savage, MN. Also The Java House in Iowa City, IA.
JL: If you could only drink one more cup of coffee, what would it be?
MM: Press Pot of Washed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Gedeo while it was snowing outside.
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