"LatteArt" news and stories

Erin Meister trains baristas for North Carolina-based Counter Culture Coffee and sporadically maintains the blog Meet the Press Pot from her home in New York City. This is the fifth in a series of tips for the caffeine-addicted.

Baristas are getting increasingly used to people describing their morning fix as "too pretty to drink," and not only because it's their first caffeine of the day. Latte art, a particular way a barista will "fold" steamed milk into espresso to create a heart or a leaf-like design called a rosetta on a drink, has been mesmerizing café goers (and even the baristas themselves) for years, but it's still seemingly a work of magic to most.

Well, I don't want to burst any (milk) bubbles, but latte art isn't magic, it's skill -- well, skill and a little abracadabra. The former because it can take months or even years to master the intuitive art of marrying two liquids, and the latter because a great latte artist can disguise not-great coffee under a stylish surface.

A video of how it's done after the jump!

The first time I encountered latte art in person was at Jim and Patty's in Portland, OR. It was December 2004 and I was out in my hometown, visiting my parents. When I visit them, I make a point of slurping down as much good Portland coffee as possible and Jim and Patty's is always one of my favorite stops. I walked up to the counter, ordered a latte and was totally mesmerized as the guy running the espresso machine made the foam resemble a fallen leaf with a couple flicks of his wrist.

These days, there are many people who spend their days elevating the combination of coffee and milk into the highest form of impermanent loveliness. Check out the video above for some amazing work. For more, check out this amazing Flickr set.

[via Food for Thought]

The gorgeous, perfect swirls on top of a latte are an art form. It never ceases to amaze me what a good latte artist can make with the sinfully good coffee drink. But just like pretty much everything in history, a machine is here to up the ante.

The Kitchn has posted a look at a latte printer, one that can give you pretty much whatever art you want on your latte -- from crisp lettering to winged horses. While it's certainly a neat idea, it just isn't the same. What's so wow-worthy about a machine that makes the art? The real jaw-dropping comes from the perfection attained by hand.

But what do you think? Weigh in below!

This weekend, if you're in the D.C. area, you should check out the Millrock Free Pour Latte Art Championship. It's held three times a year and features the best latte artists in the country battling it out for a top prize of $5,000.

The practice of latte art has been going on for years, and is an opportunity for local, independent cafes to distinguish themselves from chains. The precision and careful technique required for each masterpiece is appealing to many customers used to the "get in, get out" mentality and rushed service of larger coffee chains. Coffee art is like mint on your pillow in a hotel or a soft blanket on an airplane, delivered without being asked - nowadays, it's unexpected but greatly appreciated, and denotes an attention to detail that is often missing from our day-to-day life.

Contestants compete in "free pouring," a technique in which a slight maneuver of the wrist can produce museum-worthy rosettas, tulips, and hearts on the surface of the drinks. If done properly, the dark espresso brings out the glossy designs in the crema, producing a stunning effect that is almost too pretty to drink. However, in cafes, the deconstruction of the drink by the act of sipping is part of the fun.

The baristas have five minutes to make up to three lattes using espresso and steamed milk, and are rated on beauty, balance, color infusion, definition, and creativity.

Check out this cool Washington Post video of two guys from an Annapolis, Maryland cafe who demonstrate this unique talent.

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I've always found latte art with its hearts, ferns and even lions drawn in steamed milk quite impressive. The photo above takes coffee art into the realm of otherworldly high-speed photography. This surreal shot is from a set called "Milk Meets Coffee" by photographer Irene Müller. I realize that this is a completely different craft than that of the barista, but the medium is more or less the same. Actually, a bit less. Müller used a pipette to carefully add miniscule amounts of milk to the coffee. This particular shot is aptly named Coffee With a "Drop" of Milk.

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