A barista ( , ; ) is a person, usually a

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

employee, who prepares and serves

espresso Espresso (, ) is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is cha ...

-based

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

drinks and other beverages.

Etymology and inflection

The word comes from

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, where it means a "

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...

" who typically works behind a counter, serving hot drinks (such as

), cold

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks. The Italian plural is for masculine () or for feminine (), while English and Spanish use "baristas".

Application of the title

Baristas generally operate a commercial

espresso machine An espresso machine brews coffee by forcing pressurized water near boiling point through a "puck" of ground coffee and a filter in order to produce a thick, concentrated coffee called espresso. Multiple machine designs have been created to produ ...

, and their role is preparing and pulling the shot; the degree to which this is automated or done manually varies significantly, ranging from push-button operation to an involved manual process. Good manual espresso-making is considered a skilled task. The preparation of other beverages, particularly milk-based drinks such as

cappuccino Cappuccino (, ; from German ) is an espresso-based coffee drink traditionally prepared with steamed milk, including a layer of milk foam. Variations of the drink involve the use of cream instead of milk, using non-dairy milk substitutes ...

s and caffè lattes, but also non-espresso coffee such as drip or press pot, requires additional work and skill for effective frothing, pouring, and

latte art Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring microfoam into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the caffè latte, cappuccino or hot chocolate. It can also be created or embellished by simpl ...

. The barista is usually trained to prepare coffee by the roaster or shop owner. Experienced baristas may have the discretion to vary the preparation or experiment. Beyond the preparation of espresso and other beverages and general customer service, skilled baristas acquire knowledge of the entire process of coffee to effectively prepare a desired cup of coffee, including maintenance and programming of the machine, grinding methods, roasting, and coffee plant cultivation, similar to how a

sommelier A ''sommelier'' ( , , ), ''chef de vin'' or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the ''s ...

is familiar with the entire process of winemaking and consumption. A barista can acquire these skills by attending training classes, but they are more commonly learned on the job.

Competition

Formal barista competitions originated in Norway, and one such is the

World Barista Championship The World Barista Championship (WBC) is an annual barista competition operated by World Coffee Events for the title of World Barista Champion. The competition is composed of the winners of the national barista championships, which are operated by ...

s, held annually at varied international locations. The knowledge sharing at WBC is credited with spreading the beverage

espresso and tonic Espresso and tonic or espresso tonic is a non-alcoholic mixed drink made by mixing espresso and tonic water. First recorded in 2007, the drink became popular in Scandinavia before spreading to North America, Japan, and around the world. The key i ...

to North America.

References

{{Authority control Coffee culture Coffee in Italy Coffee preparation Food services occupations Hospitality occupations

Etymology and inflection

Application of the title

Competition

See also

References