Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, we're back. Sorry we've been on Five Question hiatus, but we're back in full swing highlighting BGA members from all over our fine land and elsewhere. Today's post features the amazing Michelle Foster, who many know and love. I gave her five questions, she answered them with care and attention. Enjoy.

I've often said that baristas deserve more respect, no matter where they are, no matter who they work for, no matter how long they've been in the craft. I've often said I thought it was important for baristas to understand they're part of a much bigger world. A world of passionate coffee professionals dedicated to not just the craft of amazing coffee and espresso, but to the specialty coffee industry as a whole.

I've wondered what I could do to celebrate baristas, to connect them on a deeper level, to show the amazing things that a barista is even outside their respective shops. The Barista Photo Project was born out of this desire. This desire to celebrate the diversity in the barista community, to make it bigger and smaller at the same time. So, take some time to look through the pictures. See your fellow champions of the craft. And add up your pictures. I want this to become this amazing visual picture of how truly awesome the barista community is. I want to see pics of you in your shop behind the bar, and pics of you outside the bar. Who you are in the shop, and who you are outside of it. Viva Barista.

Here's the link: http://baristaphotoproject.tumblr.com/

jason dominy.

Happening on June 18-19 at the Seattle Center.

On father’s day weekend the Northwest Coffee Festival will bring together coffee lovers, baristas and roasters to get their caffeine buzz on while tasting and celebrating coffee in Seattle. If you are a coffee lover then head for the Seattle Center. There you will be well caffeinated in a wonderland of coffee with a smile on your face and cup after cup of delicious brew handed to you by baristas from your favorite local cafes and roasters.

The Northwest Coffee Festival will be held in the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center with espresso bars, slow-pour coffee bars, live music, educational presentations and hands-on demonstrations in coffee. With several of Seattle's favorite chocolate dessert companies and savory food chefs in the festival there will be great foods to taste as well as exceptional coffees. The festival will feature a NW Beer, Wine, and Cider garden for the 21+ folks.

Sip a cup of in one of the micro-cafe espresso bars while watching a demonstration from a local barista on how your favorite drinks are made and then stand at the roaster's bar tasting slow poured coffee, nibbling dessert and listening to live music. Be excited for the great coffee, tasty bites and a weekend of celebration!

To stir up the excitement, the Northwest Coffee Festival will host a Seattle Coffee Crawl the week prior to the festival. A map will be distributed to encourage folks to get out and explore some of Seattle’s finest coffee shops with the opportunity to win prizes!

Is there a better way to spend Father’s Day weekend? Make it a surprise for Dad (you’ll want to buy your tickets in advance) or make it a special treat for yourself, but if you like coffee your definitely going to want to make it to the Seattle Center for this event.

For more information, click here: http://nwcoffeefestival.com/

Congratulations to the newest members of the Barista Guild of America Executive Council:

A couple of weeks ago, we saw new change in leadership on the BGA’s Executive Council. While we welcomed new members to the Council, we also saw two that finished up their time, and I’d like to spend a couple of minutes sharing my appreciation, as well as the appreciation of the rest of the Executive Council for their service.

First, Heather Perry finished up her time on the Council, her last position was Past Chair. Heather has been an integral part of the success of the BGA over the past three years, and I’ve worked with her my whole time in leadership. I was honored to be a part of the founding group of the BGA Certification, and Heather was a driving member of creating the Certification. Her leadership and passion helped us create the Certification is just two days during the SCAA’s Leadership Summit in Atlanta. Since then, she’s not only helped drive the Certification’s success, but has assisted in helping see a new BGA website, new standards, new labs, and a culture of breaking down the idea of the rock-star barista by getting highly involved with all levels of baristas, always showing respect and appreciation for baristas no matter of level of experience of company affiliation.

She has been a great leader in her time on the Executive Council, and her work has been very visible to all who have joined the BGA in the past couple of years. She was a great leader helping create and carry out the first ever Camp Pull-A-Shot this past year. She is a great example to women in the coffee industry, and we could certainly use more women like her in the industry to show the vast diversity of the community. She was just voted onto the SCAA’s Board of Directors, and they will benefit greatly from her tenacity and passion, but we will certainly miss her more active role in the BGA. Thank you Heather Perry. We love you.

Second, Anne Nylander finished up her time on the Executive Council. She has been an amazing resource to the BGA, working behind the scenes constantly to improve labs, the Certification, as well as improving the BGA as a whole. She has worked tirelessly on many projects, including Camp Pull-A-Shot, where she not only created labs and instructed, but tested for Certification and helped organize the entire event. She’s not always one of the most vocal and noticed professionals in the coffee industry, but she’s certainly one of the most valuable. She, like Heather, is a great role model for women in the industry, and we do need more women like her and Heather to help create a better future for coffee. Her passion drives her work, and her work drives our industry forward. She will be leaving her post on the Executive Council, but will not be far away. She will acting as a liason between the BGA and the SCAA’s Professional Development Committee.

With the loss of those two amazing people, we have some new ones joining us. Julie Housh, Sarah Dooley and Noah Namowicz were all elected onto the EC. All three are great coffee professionals engaged in great ways where they’re at. Julie Housh is a barista with Peregrine Espresso with our good friend Ryan Jensen, Sarah Dooley is with Espresso Parts NW, and Noah comes to us from the coffee importin’ folk of Cafe Imports. We look forward to what all three bring to the table to help push your BGA forward!

Scott Lucey takes the new Past Chair position, Dan Streetman takes on the Vice-Chair role, and Chris Baca and Trevor Corlett round out this amazing Executive Council you've voted for. Remember, we work for you. We've heard your feedback loud and clear from the surveys, and we've been discussing the results, which we'll be posting up here soon. We will continue to work hard to be the best BGA we can be, with your help. Look for exciting things coming your way.
jason dominy,
current chair.

On Friday May 6th from 7:30pm to 10pm Fix Coffee (www.fixcoffeeco.com) will be hosting a Latte Art Throwdown event to raise money and send supplies to Japan. Specifically Fix will be sending donations to Takashimaya Coffee shop and roaster. Takashimaya coffee shop also operates a little mobile cafe out of a very cute Volkswagen Van called Bear Cafe. Thankfully Takashimaya Coffee was not horribly damaged by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. So, very shortly after devastation struck, the owner of Takashimaya sprung into action. He took his little Bear Cafe van straight to the heart of the most devastated areas of Japan and started handing out hot coffee and what ever other supplies he could gather to any one who needed them. Bear Cafe has sense made several trips into the the effected areas and has been posting photos and stories of his trips on Takashimaya Coffee’s Blog. He has been able to collect over 2000 cups with personalized encouraging messages and images from people in his home town to serve coffee in. He has brought books for kids at shelters to entertain them. He has brought food, fuel, water, light sources and other supplies as well.

So, Fix is giving the Los Angeles Coffee Community, and those it serves, a chance to share a cup of Joe and an encouraging word with people in Japan. The event will include live music, Latte Art Competitions and the opportunity for all guests to decorate a cup that will be sent to Japan the next day. There will be a suggested donation of $10 at the door. Competitors entry fee into the Latte Art Throwdown will be donated directly to Takashimaya Coffee’s relief efforts as well. While not confirmed yet, there may be a donation bar for beer and wine as well. Live performers and DJ will be announced in the week to come as well as the status of the donation bar.

Fix Coffee is Located at 2100 Echo Park Ave in Los Angeles, CA.

Foe More information on the event, please contact Amber Johnson at mrs.amber.johnson@gmail.com or call her at 206-403-6907

This is Takashimaya’s blog address: http://takashimaya-coffee.info/blog/

This will be considered a “private event” so the Cafe will not be open for business.