From March 5-8, the Oregon Convention Center in Portland is hosting the 2009 United States Barista Championship. I’m showcasing baristas who decided to compete for greater glory. Meet Danielle Glasky from Octane Coffee in Atlanta, a contender for the American coffee crown.

Did anything surprise you about your regional competition?
I realized that a delicious beverage doesn’t score well. It can score poorly. If it’s not creative and delicious, you miss out on a lot.

Based on what you learned, will you change your approach for the USBC?
Totally. I changed my entire signature drink.

Any different ways?
I roasted my coffee two different ways for the South East. I went with a little bit more experimentation now.

Same coffee?
Same coffee, different roast.

What is your goal?
To open up their eyes to the possibilities of what single-origin coffees can be. Single-origin coffees are really underappreciated as espressos, so it will be really interesting.

What has your training schedule been like?
Nights. Nights at the training center. Counter Culture has let us use their training center,

What’s a coffeehouse you didn’t know before the South East?
It was in my backyard, so I knew all of it. The regional happened literally a block behind my coffeehouse, so I was able to take people around to new ones they didn’t know about.