US Barista Championship Big Western Regional Competition

Produced by the Specialty Coffee Association of America & Barista Guild of America, the event known as US Coffee Championships encompasses a series of competitions but most notably the US Barista Championship. In order to compete at the national level, baristas must advance from their respective regional competition.
New for 2014 is the consolidation of meeting venues from six to three: Big Central, Big Eastern, & Big Western. This format creates more interaction between an already tight-​knit specialty coffee community. The top six place winners from each of the NW, SW, NC, SC, NE, and SE regions advance to the USBC in April (this year, held in Seattle Washington).
Within 15 minutes, each barista delivers a presentation expressing their knowledge of their choice of espresso before four Sensory Judges, two Technical Judges, and one Head Judge while creating three espresso beverages: Espresso, Cappuccino, and the barista’s Signature Beverage.
Other competitions occurring simultaneously are Brewers Cup and Latte Art.
Event sponsors offer free espresso beverages and filtered coffee, as well as stuff we all get!
Food vendors and other coffee related vendor offer goods for sale.
You can even learn how to pour latte art!
This free event, open to the general public is highly recommended for anyone who casually drinks coffee and wishes to learn more about it, or the coffee enthusiast who wishes to cheer for their local barista competing regionally. Whatever the case, there is a wealth of information available and you gain a new appreciation for coffee.