Richard Wolak interviews, Pete Licata, 2nd Place winner in the 2008 United States Barista Championship.
How are you involved with PT’s Coffee Roasters?
I am a café manager at one of our retail stores. I also help with account training and competitor training.
Tell our readers what was involved in your training for the USA Barista Championship in 2008.
The training that we do at PT’s ranges from dosing and pulling shots repetitively to doing full runs through our presentations. This year I began heading to Topeka (which is about an hour drive away) on the weekends in October to prepare for our Midwest Regional. The weekends pretty much continued until time to drive to USBC. Our team also focused on everything from an ideal judges table setup to the specific flavors we taste in our drinks. Knowing every detail possible is detrimental in my opinion.
What inspired you to become a leader in the coffee industry as a Barista?
A visit by then reigning WBC champion Tim Wendelboe to PT’s was the beginning of my inspiration. That was the point where I knew there was much more in store in this industry than I ever imagined. Competition in the Midwest and USBC have continually increased my knowledge and understanding immensely, but there is so much more to learn!
What supplies and tools of the trade did you use in your presentation at the Championship?
There are so many things that are used in these presentations. I was using an Anfim Super Caimano grinder. I can’t say enough good things about this grinder. It does have issues that should be addressed, but I feel that the positive features are a definite step in the right direction. I had my lovely Reg Barber tamper which was given to me for making the finals last year. Of course the provided La Marzocco FB80 was a big key. I had some tulip shaped cappuccino mugs and bell shaped espresso mugs. In addition to standard barista fair we tend to use all manner of food and drink industry equipment. I had a wine decanter, cheese boards, wine glasses, and a gravy boat.
Describe the drink you created as your "custom" drink in the 2008 USA Barista Championship & how long did it take to create your signature drink?
My custom drink this year was a wine and cheese pairing of sorts. I created an espresso wine made with espresso, apricot nectar, cherry juice, and a reduction of tangelo, lemon, cinnamon, and sugar. The sweet acidity and bright flavors of the wine paired extremely well with the cheese I had chosen. The cheese was a semi-firm Italian style cheese with black truffles and white truffle oil. It’s earthy, heavy flavors were a contrast to the wine. Mingling the two together was like fireworks in your mouth!
It took me about a month or so of reformulating to perfect the flavors in this drink.
How did you find the coffee that you used in your presentation? And which farm was it from?
I found my coffee at PT’s actually. I used our house espresso called La Bella Vita. We had several blends and origins which we tried, however no matter how good some of them were I felt they lacked the complexity and just plain awesome flavor that this blend brings. When I taste something and can’t help thinking about how delicious it is I can’t ignore it even if it isn’t the current trend.
The blend has a Brazilian Ipanema, Ethiopian Sidamo, Sumatra Lake Tawar, and an Indian Monsoon Malibar. Some people say they don’t care for some of these, but it is hard to deny the flavor.
Have you ever been to Origin? And if so, which country/farm did you travel too?
I have not.
Do you have any mentors in the coffee industry, and if so who and why?
There are so many people out there who I feel that I look up to. It would be near impossible to list them all, but a few would include Jeff Taylor, Barry Jarrett, Billy Wilson, Heather Perry, Jon Lewis, and Peter Giuliano. I look up to these people for different reasons and I feel that they all have something special that they bring to the coffee industry.
What is your own personal favorite coffee? and why?
Right now my favorite is a peaberry from Finca Los Planes. It is called Reserva Del Mandador, and it is a complex cup of awesome. It is sweet, fruity, clove-like spice, and just plain old tasty. Another thing that I like is that we work very closely with the farm and this offering is just one of their great coffees.
What did you do before becoming a Barista?
I worked in all manner of retail environments. Before becoming a Barista I was working on becoming a Japanese translator.
What is your favorite dessert to have with an espresso?
I really like to have a simple French Silk Pie from a local pie maker. With an espresso it can’t be beat!
Which Barista Championships have you competed in the past 5 years?
I have competed in the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 Midwest Regional Barista Championships and the 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 USBC.
What interests do you have outside of the coffee business?
I really like beer. Okay, don’t we all? I enjoy Japanese language, martial arts, cooking, photography, brewing beer, and Guitar Hero!
POSTED: Saturday, May 31, 2008