WHAT GETS YOU FROTHING? Almond Breeze Barista Blend is dedicated to pushing the coffee industry forward and in this series we meet the people who are leading the charge.
In your opinion, what makes a good cup of coffee?
In this month’s edition we speak to Isaac Kim, the head barista and manager of Ona Marrickville, on what gets him frothing.
For me, a good cup of coffee is honest. It should be balanced and openly expressing the characteristics of the coffee. You should be able to taste the terroir, process, and even the varietal without distractions. What I think makes a good coffee experience is a whole different answer on its own.
How did you learn your barista skills?
What gets you frothing about the industry?
I mostly learned on the job. I started working in restaurants as a waiter and kitchen hand as a teen and picked up some bartending and coffee skills. Then I developed an interest in latte art for a few years, so I learned from watching videos on YouTube (we all go through that phase!). I’m now lucky enough to work very closely with the personalities that inspired me in the first place.
Something that has been getting me really excited recently is the idea that baristas have the power to influence consumer behaviour in a big way. We might all feel like small cogs in the multi-billion dollar machine that is the coffee industry, but we as baristas can shape how our customers view coffee and in turn shape what specialty coffee looks like in the future.
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