Bard Coffee barista Justin McEdward will be in Boston later this month to compete in the North East Regional Barista Competition (NERBC) against other coffee professionals from across New York and New England.
According to Bard co-owner (and World Barista Championship judge) Bob Garver, competitors need to produce an espresso shot, a cappuccino and a specialty drink of their own design for each of the four sensory judges in a 15 minute time frame. In addition to being judged on quality of their drinks, the competitors will be evaluated on efficiency and other technical issues with which they are produced. (See the official rules for more details)
Winning at the NERBC will entitle McEdward to represent the North East at the national competition later this year. Justin tells me that his motivation in entering the competition is not just to represent himself and Bard Coffee, but to bring attention to Portland’s growing coffee culture.
NERBC is taking place March 19-21 in Somerville, MA.