The big event

The invitation, originally uploaded by coffeedirtdog.

An invitation arrived this morning. The first of what would be several that went out today. A bottle of wine with a special invite printed on the side.

The big unsanctioned unofficial barista jam over at Taste on April 3rd. The Jam was organized by Nik aka 'Kranky' (w/ Jamie and the crew very involved) over at Taste and we @ barismo are providing a support role.

The event is going to be an attempt to get a bunch of barista into one room, have some prizes, some gear, food, drink, and conversation. The idea is to remove the animosity and build a bit of camaraderie. With best intentions, it is about building a real community. Not within a single shop but across a few shops.

It may seem a bit foreign but the idea is that raising the bar requires a bit of understanding. Knowing your neighbor across town is passionate but has differences in palate is better than thinking they are simply wrong and disregarding them entirely. While I guarantee there will be representatives from all our accounts, the trick is seeing who shows up that isn't in our immediate circle of friends and partners in the coffee business.

If you are a local barista or otherwise a coffee professional, give us a heads up and join us at Taste. See you there barista.