Video Podcast

Well, this one has the whole video, but it is of lesser quality.

Untitled from Leslie Ruckman on Vimeo.

video podcast

Portland coffee stops:Coffeehouse Northwest

Now for the best coffee shop EVER! Carla and I were recommended this place by tons of people and we instantly fell in love. We chatted it up with the baristas who were amazed we drove all the way up to Portland. They hooked us up with free espressos which was super nice.

















Our drinks were excellent, and I also had to get a hot chocolate which was AMAZING. They said they are known more for their hot chocolate than their great coffee. They explained to me why it was so special, something about a famous chocolateer, seasalt, and cream or something. But is was AMAZING!!! Definitely the best in Portland for their delicious coffee, a fabulous hot chocolate, and great hospitality. :)

Portland coffee stops:The Fresh Pot

Anyone who's been to Portland must know of the famous Powell's bookstore. Well, The Fresh Pot is a little coffee spot plopped inside one of the few Powell's. One of their baristas, Alex Pond, won the Northwest Regional Barista Competition and went on to compete in the United States championship that weekend.













This place is closer to the top of my list when it comes to quality. Not only is it connected to a cute little bookstore; they use pretty green cups, AND make the drinks delicious. And, you guessed it, they use Stumptown.

I took this opportunity to buy some coffee to take back home (and I just have to say that Stumptown has the coolest packaging for their whole beans).










Another great stop, but still
more ahead!

Portland coffee stops:Crema

Our next stop was to a garage that got turned into a cafe: Crema.
(No, not the same Crema that is on the Alameda.)

The good:
Cozy, open, and clean.
Filled with people SOCIALIZING
rather than being stuck on their computers. :)
Stumptown coffee.
A massive 4-group La Marzocco.

The bad:
The cups were bigger than average.
The coffee just plain sucks.

Usually I can drink something to be polite, but I really just couldn't, even with a larger than normal macchiato and cappuccino. It was bitter, scorching hot, and the milk was bubbly.


On the upside, it was around time for lunch and I was craving soup which they happened to serve here. Now that was good. I guess this place just focuses more on their food and bakery items.

E-Portfolio

Over the course of the semester, I've done some cool things in my MCOM 63 class (like this blog). I want to share them with you, so just click below.

• My banner this blog.
• My graduation brochure.
• My coffee house website.

I learned a bunch, but definitely still need some work. :p

WBC: and the winner is ...

The time has come, and it is time for the finalists to be announced. Here are the results along with their final points and footage of their performance.

6th: Attila Molnar of Hungary (535.5)
5th: Lee Jong Hoon of Korea (542)
4th: Colin Harmon of Ireland (72)
3rd: Michael Phillips of the United States of America (618.5)
2nd: Sammy Piccolo of Canada (619.5)

... and the 2009 World Barista Champion is














Gwilym Davies of the United Kingdom (623)

Announcer Nick Cho: "How do you feel?"
Davies: "Puzzled."

WBC Finalists!

I recorded the announcements, but I guess I accidently deleted it from my camera :(
But I'll get them tomorrow!

The six finalists to compete for the crown tomorrow are:

1. Attila Molnar (Hungary)
2. Gwilym Davies (United Kingdom)
3. Sammy Piccolo (Canada)
4. Michael Phillips (United States)
5. Colin Harmon (Ireland)
6. Lee Jong Hoon (Republic of Korea)

Good job to everyone who competed, and good luck to the finalists.

Toon in to the competition tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The winner will be anounced at 12:30.

Phillips at the WBC

Good luck to him! Here's how his round went.

Finalists will be announced at 2 p.m.
I'm feeling anxoius!

Slayer Espresso Machine

Slayer Espresso is making a debut of their espresso machine in Atlanta at the WBC, and it has gotten people fired up!



Courtesy of
Slayer Espresso








As far as design goes, it has similar features the the Synesso Cyncra with its levers for each group and steam wand (rather than buttons or knobs), except this one is much newer and modern looking.

You can read more about the Slayer at the WBC here, or check out the official Slayer blog. They have a really interesting article about why they decided to pursue making a new machine when there are already top notch ones out there like Synesso and La Marzocco, and how they could compete with them. Here's the link to that.

See the Slayer in action!

Joel Pulling Shots On His Slayer from Slayer Espresso on Vimeo.

Mike Phillips on NPR

US Barista Champion Mike Phillips was interviewed on NPR Tuesday morning. He talks about the competition and his signature beverage. Listen here.

He is scheduled to compete for round one on Saturday just after 10 am PST. Remember, you can tune into it live at the WBC site! Cheer on the US!

World Barista Championship

Today marks the first day of the 2009 World Barista Competition! You can watch the event live at the WBC website. Check out preformances from competitors all over the world. You can also check out the WBC blog for more info about each competitor and their signature drinks.

Portland coffee stops:Stumptown at the Ace Hotel

Carla and I bummed the couches in one of the rooms people from Verve were staying at. (Told you. We made this trip a cheap one!) Aside from the Ace Hotel being an awesome building with its antique architecture and vintage cabin-like feel, they have a Stumptown attached to the lobby. This is heaven: starting your day off with a great coffee by just walking downstairs while you're still in your jammies. The shot of Hairbender I had was the second best shot I had from our trip. On top of that, they use one of my favorite espresso machine, a La Marzocco Mistral. Although I have never actually worked on one, I just like the way the look because it reminds me of something futuristic like the Jetsons!


Photo courtesy of Architecture-page.















Photo courtesy of Portland-ground.

Portland coffee stops:Barista

Going to Portland made me very sad about the lack of selection of good coffee houses in San Jose, and a big emphasis on good. Our first stop was to a new shop called Barista, but unfortunately they are closed on Sundays. It looked to be a really small shop. I was jealous of the fact that they had, not one, but TWO cute two-group espresso machines: a little Synesso (which is what my family's shop has) and a La Marzocco.

They also had some other great looking equipment like a siphon bar, which I have never had a cup of coffee from.
It really was a shame that they were closed because they looked be serving coffee from Intelligentsia and Olympia (Oly), which I have never heard of before. These two coffees would have been a nice change to try, since almost every other place we went to serves Stumptown Coffee. Speaking of Stumptown, that was actually our first stop, since it was in our hotel lobby. More to come!

USBC Finals

Our last day in Portland marks the final day of the USBC. Two days is NOT enough time in Portland, so my sister and I dedicated our last day to checking out all the great coffee spots till we had a headache from too much caffeine. And so, we weren't able to attend the competition. But either way, a congratulations to Mike Phillips from Intelligentsia!

I will post about the good and in some cases not so good coffee houses we went to at a later time!

The Barista Prom

This is probably the best party idea ever.

A venue was rented out to recreate an 80s and 90s themed highschool prom. They got it down to the karaoke, a photographer to take your prom picture, and even a prom king.

Carla and I met and talked to a lot of great people! Just to name a few:










Kyle Glanville from Intelligentsia. He is the 2008 United States Barista Champion.













and of course...
Stephen Morrisey!!
He is the 2008 WORLD BARISTA CHAMPION.















I had way too much fun that night :) We got a few hours of sleep before we went on our coffee stops for our last day in Portland.

For more photos of the party, check out the photographer's website.

USBC: Semifinalists

After 10 long hours, Carla and I made it to Portland at nearly midnight. Our friends from Verve and Zoka did not make it to the semifinals, but Sara Peterson from The Abbey did! This is her first time competing and she has less than one year of coffee experience; what a great accomplishment for her! We got to see a glimpse of her performance on Saturday, and she said she felt really good about it afterward. I believe her exact words were "bomb diggity".


At the competitions, they have what is called the 4th Machine, an espresso machine dedicated to roasters and coffee houses showcasing their coffee in designated time slots. They offer esspressos, macchiatos, and cappuccinos absolutely free! All day, everyday. I got to try a macchiato from Ecco Caffe and it was delicious!

After hours of people competing and a day of waiting, it was finally time for the 6 finalists to be announced.




Sara patiently waits
for her results.







In no particular order, congratulations to:
Ryan Wilbur (Intelligentsia)
Devin Pedde (Intelligentsia)
Mark Marquard (Kaldi's Coffee)
Scott Lucey (Alterra Coffee)
Mike Phillips (Intelligentsia)
Nick Griffith (Intelligentsia)

Too bad there are no girls in the mix; it looks like team Intelli is working their way to the top as only one competitor from their shop didn't make it to the next round! They will be competing for the last time in the USBC tomorrow morning; unfortunately, the time springs forward tonight. (No partying tonight for them!)

More to come after tomorrow's results! And of course, you can check out more pictures and information at the USBC website.

USBC: Day 1

Today marks day one of the 2009 United States Barista Championship. It is too bad my sister and I won't be able to make it to Portland till tomorrow night; we'll be missing all of round one and two. Hopefully, our friends Sara Peterson from the Abbey, Jared Truby from Verve, and Robbie Brit from Zoka make it to the semifinals and finals so we can watch them compete! You can check out what's going on up in Portland here and here.

Road Trip!

The United States Barista Championship is this weekend and is being held in Portland, Oregon!

Me: Let's go to Portland
My sister (Carla): Okay!
Me: No, really. I'm serious.
Carla: Me too!

We are broke, but for the sake of coffee, we'll scrap every penny we have, even if it will involve sleeping uncomfortably in a Mazda 3 and several packed lunches of chips, fruit, and water. But it will all be worth the days surrounded by coffee culture and of course Portland's green scenery.

Here is a quick rundown of how the competition goes.

Each competitor gets 15 minutes to serve four judges each a single espresso, single cappuccino, and a signature espresso-based drink - one that they created on their own. These are the Sensory Judges, in which they judge based on the appearance of the drink, taste, mouth feel, color, texture, etc. There are also two Technical Judges, who look at the waste of coffee and milk, how consistent the barista is, their cleanliness, consistent extraction of their espresso shots, and how well they clean up after they finish serving the judges. On top of this, there is also a Head Judge.

The competition is based on how the drinks taste, but a barista's score also greatly depends on his/her presentation: whether or not their drinks have any spills on them, whether or not they served the judges water, how well they talk about their coffee and signature beverage. They are essentially servers.

Along with the competition, Carla and I are going to scope out the marvelous coffee scene. (We have a list of shops we must stop by before we leave.) And, whats a coffee event without a little get-together? Yes. We baristas like to party.




As featured in
Barista Magazine.

A special day at work.

I had the pleasure of testing out a new coffee at work yesterday. A roaster who used to work for Zoka recently left to go work for Herkimer Coffee. He contacted my dad and sent us samples to try out.

The espresso was pretty good. It was nice and thick, but I wish it was a tad sweeter. In a cappuccino, it had a buttery taste, which is not something I'm used to but good nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I didn't know there was a certain temperature our espresso machine needed to be set to (so that the coffee is at its full potential) that the roaster recommended to my dad. Of course, he had to mention it to me after I had used it all up. Maybe there will be more in the future. All in all, I'm glad I got a chance to use it.

But one last thing: I'm so not a fan of their logo/label.

Adventure: Verve Coffee Roasters

As you may know, my family owns a coffee house in Santa Clara. We serve coffees from Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company from Seattle as well as Verve Coffee Roasters located in Santa Cruz. This past week, my sister and I wanted to get away and decided to pay the guys at Verve a visit. We told them not to deliver our coffee and that we would pick it up instead.

It was such a beautiful day in Santa Cruz, I was tempted to go to the beach right then and there. Verve is located at the end of 41st St. (next to Pink Godzilla and near Pleasure Pizza). They have only been open for a little over a year but already have a good rep; they supply their coffee to tons of cafes in Santa Cruz, and to a well known coffee shop all the way in New York, and even to Google! Oh yeah, and to us of course!

The owners and many of Verve's baristas have coffee experience else where - from Pacific Bay, Barefoot, Groundwork, The Naked Lounge - these guys know their stuff! At the 2009 Western Regional Barista Competition, two finalists reppin' Verve are going on to the United States Barista Competition coming up in March: Verve's very own Jared Truby got 5th place and The Abbey's Sara Peterson just made it into the 6th slot. (The Abbey uses Verve's Coffee). Good luck to them both!

At Verve, my sister ordered a macchiato* and our barista, Matt, showed his excitement with a "YES!" I would be silly not to get an espresso after his comment. He pulled us a Single Origin Guatemalan coffee, and they were both delish: a trip well worth the drive! If you're ever in Santa Cruz/Capitola, this place is a must!




*By macchiato, I dont mean a Starbuck's "Macchiato" which is a caramel latte; they butchered the name macchiato! It is really espresso with just a tad bit of milk.

Yea for the first post!

This is my blog about coffee, and in just in case I can't meet the three post minimum for class, shoes. I have so many things lined up that I am excited to share with you, but first, a little bit about me:

It seems like it was just yesterday that parents opened up Bellano Coffee - two and a half years goes by fast - and I've been working with coffee ever since. I started in my garage and went on to train at Zoka in Seattle. Since then, I have worked at Broken Door Espresso in downtown San Jose and was a guest barista at Barefoot Coffee Roasters in Santa Clara. There's my credibility for you, although I'm far from perfect; I still have SO much to learn, because coffee is without limits.

I hope this blog enlightens you about how coffee is so much more than just a morning beverage: it is an art, a skill that takes heavy, intensive training, a way to bring people together, an exceptionally good reason to skip out on your morning class (kidding!), but most of all, it's an entire community.

Enjoy!

Responsibilities of a Blogger

Nowadays, anyone can become an author through blogs. In a few simple steps, people are able to express their thoughts, views, opinions, art, pictures, and whatever else you can think of. Finally, anyone has the opportunity to reach thousands of people through the Internet and with this comes many opportunities.

Blogs are a way for people to promote themselves: artists can promote their art and writers can promote their work. But most of all, blogs are a community. In a specific blog, readers are able to keep up with posts and comment to react to it. It becomes a ritual, and that blogger can get feedback and, more importantly, knows that he or she is being heard.

However, with great power comes great responsibility ...or something like that! A blogger must be persistent: they can't just leave their readers hanging and waiting for the next post! There are also ethical issues involved for the blogger as well as the reader. It is the blogger's responsibility to be honest and in cases where they give their opinion, to let their readers know it is their opinion. Since anyone can write a blog, it can become hazy where the truth is. As blog readers, it is their responsibility to understand that a blog is someone's opinions and is not always reliable for information.