Hey there fellow coffee junkies

My name is Hein and I am from South Africa. I hope there is fellow South Africans here as well.

Anyway, I have competed in 2 Barista Championships and I havent had the luck yet of finishing under the top 6 for the nationals. So my cry for help goes out to you guys. I have been in the coffee industry now for 9 years and still loving making and drinking the old cup of joe. I am pretty good with my Latte Art and pulling shots is a second nature for me. The problem I have is my Signature Drink. I want to create one that will help me further my coffee career. Any help would be appreciated and will be taken seriously.

Thank you in advance

Hein

For sig drinks, not overpowering the coffee, and using ingredients that complement, enhance, and support the espresso is what you're after. As for how to do that, that's kind of the tricky part. You have to really know your espresso, and experiment with ingredients to see what is complimentary. As well, it should be something personal that represents your tastes, and will show the judges what you are all about. I've never competed but I've worked with people who have, and these are the things that always come up while contemplating signature drinks. Think outside the box, but also, keep it simple. Excessively complicated signature drinks never seem to do anyone any good, but if your espresso and caps are solid, then a simple, impeccably prepared sig drink will more than suffice.

Also, know the rules inside and out:

http://worldbaristachampionship.com/downloads/

Watch lot's of competition videos as well. They are very helpful.

Hein wrote:... and pulling shots is a second nature for me. The problem I have is my Signature Drink.

Before you concluded the problem was your signature drink, did you confirm that you had top or near-top scores on your basic espresso?

Marshall wrote:Before you concluded the problem was your signature drink, did you confirm that you had top or near-top scores on your basic espresso?

"Near-top" is exceedingly subjective. I'd like to point out that it is very difficult for multiple judges to be truly calibrated to one another. Especially if there is preliminary competition occurring for 2 days. That being said, it's quite common for a panel of judges to have fairly different scores. For espresso, scoring a 3 is fairly impressive. The reason for this is that a good shot of espresso(scoring a 3 out of 6) is compared to the competitors, not Joe Schmo at your average coffee shop. I've seen people score a 3 on their espresso and take home the championship. The signature beverage and the way you present yourself and your drinks are what will usually be considered most heavily when scoring the overall impression. I will concede, however, that back when I was closely involved in competition, the scoring was weighted differently.

randy wrote:"Near-top" is exceedingly subjective. I'd like to point out that it is very difficult for multiple judges to be truly calibrated to one another. Especially if there is preliminary competition occurring for 2 days. That being said, it's quite common for a panel of judges to have fairly different scores. For espresso, scoring a 3 is fairly impressive. The reason for this is that a good shot of espresso(scoring a 3 out of 6) is compared to the competitors, not Joe Schmo at your average coffee shop. I've seen people score a 3 on their espresso and take home the championship. The signature beverage and the way you present yourself and your drinks are what will usually be considered most heavily when scoring the overall impression. I will concede, however, that back when I was closely involved in competition, the scoring was weighted differently.

I'm not sure what your point is. The OP believes his espresso is great and that only his signature drink is holding him back. I'm trying to find out if he has a good reason for believing this.

There were three big dings on the signature drink when I used to judge.

The first was not being able to taste the coffee. This can be a heart breaker -- do not use a Sidamo with apricot flavors with apricot juice, or a Brazil with cocoa flavors with a chocolate drink, since the judges won't know whether they are tasting the coffee or the additives (and when the judges start arguing, the competitor is usually screwed).

The second is poorly thought out complications: umbrellas, garnishes, utensils and El Bulli style trick plates will usually be a disaster -- if you can't tell the judges how to drink it in one sentence, change your plan; if the judges might look ridiculous or do a pratfall while drinking it, change your plan.

The third is getting thrown by the degree of difficulty. You can get complicated in preparing the drink, but you will get completely slammed in all the presentation scores if you ever seem hurried, flustered or get in a sweat -- make absolutely sure that your routine includes only things you can pull off with masterful ease. More difficult drinks will score higher, but only if they are pulled off with sprezzatura.

Marshall wrote:Before you concluded the problem was your signature drink, did you confirm that you had top or near-top scores on your basic espresso?

My espresso scores were very good. Cant remember exactly but i think i got 4 out of 5 for it. I got near perfect scores for my technical part. Making the espressos and cappuccinos was not my problem. The coffee I used was really good and always fresh. I made a pretty good signature drink but I would really love to do something different this time round. Like TheMuffinMan01 said, I have to think outside the box.

I started a new job as barista and coffee roaster in a restaurant, so I could work with a chef to get flavours that go with coffee. I contacted Klaus Thomsen last week and he gave me a few pointers. I want to compete one more final time and if I dont win, I would at least like to be in the top 6. With my last comp I came in 7th. ONE spot away from getting there. Winning isnt everything to me. I just want to get better in what I do. I firmly believe that I can learn new things everyday.

Thanx for all the feedback