FratelloCoffee » Cappuccino http://www.fratellocoffee.com Fratello coffee roasters Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:52:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2009 Prairie Regional Barista Competition http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2009-prairie-regional-barista-competition/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2009-prairie-regional-barista-competition/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:29:56 +0000 Jason http://www.fratellocoffee.com/?p=456
Read More & View the photos >]]> The top baristas in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Yukon will gather in Calgary on Saturday, September 12, 2009 to compete in the the 2009 Prairies Regional Barista Championships.

PRBC

The second annual event, held this year at Fratello Coffee Roasters in Calgary, will feature 11 competitors from the prairies region. Each competitor has 15 minutes to prepare and serve 12 coffee beverages—four espresso, four cappuccino, and four signature drinks. Four sensory judges, two technical judges and one head judge evaluate each performance, including the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill and overall presentation of the competitors.

The top three scoring competitors earn the right to compete at the Canadian National Barista Championship, October 14 & 15 in Vancouver, as well as travel bursaries and a prize package. The public is invited to attend the event free of charge and enjoy beverages prepared by competitors at the complimentary espresso bar. The event will be broadcast live on Ustream. A link and further details can be found on the event website at http://2009prbc.com/

Also – this Friday September 11 is a Barista Jam – Open to all Professional Barista’s and coffee enthusiasts. We’ll be hanging out, pulling shots and warming up for the competition. There will also be a Latte Art Throwdown, $5 buy-in winner take all. P.S. beer will be served ;-)

See you guys this Friday & Saturday !

Here is a Schedule of Events for all compeditors

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2009-prairie-regional-barista-competition/feed/ 1 Fratello Coffee tests the new Slayer Espresso Machine! http://www.fratellocoffee.com/fratello-coffee-tests-the-new-slayer-espresso-machine/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/fratello-coffee-tests-the-new-slayer-espresso-machine/#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:58:29 +0000 chris http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2009/02/14/fratello-coffee-tests-the-new-slayer-espresso-machine/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
Slayer Espresso Machine @ Fratello – teaser from Chris Prefontaine on Vimeo.]]> Slayer Espresso Machine @ Fratello – teaser from Chris Prefontaine on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/fratello-coffee-tests-the-new-slayer-espresso-machine/feed/ 3 Some Impressions on the Canadian National Barista Competition http://www.fratellocoffee.com/some-impressions-on-the-canadian-national-barista-competition/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/some-impressions-on-the-canadian-national-barista-competition/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:53:12 +0000 joel http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2008/10/31/some-impressions-on-the-canadian-national-barista-competition/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
It’s taken me a while to get this entry put together.  But here are some thoughts from competing in the Canadian National Barista Competition held in Montreal this year. I]]> It’s taken me a while to get this entry put together.  But here are some thoughts from competing in the Canadian National Barista Competition held in Montreal this year.

I need to begin by thanking the team that I had behind me, from the brothers working with me to create the blend, to Mike our Master Roaster I worked closely with to produce the roast we took, and to all the friends and family who supported me through the experience.  I literally could not have done it without you

I also need to acknowledge the competitors.  One and all they are a class act and I consider my self EXTRMELY fortunate to count myself among their number.  It’s very nice to be able to put faces to the names and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and to keeping in touch.

I hate to admit that I did not watch any of the other competitors on the day of the finals, I was going last and it was all I could do to keep my wits about me listening to them.

I for one am ecstatic at finishing third over all at the National level.  Particularly in light of the fact that it was our first venture into the competitive Barista world, and only my second year in the coffee industry.  I just goes to show what a great team and a lot of passion can do.

I’m particularly proud of the fact that despite my long winded, “time eating” talking, and a few other bobbles, the Espresso blend we chose (Ethiopian Kembata, Sumatra Tabu Jamu and Brazil Sete Cachoeiras) came through and shone as the wonderful Espresso that it is.  For myself, I love the fact that this coffee, that I felt such a passion for, would lend itself so well to becoming a truly delightful cup.

We’ve (any Barista worth anything) all said it and we all believe, that we are the last in a long line of individuals who have planted, cultivated, picked, processed, sorted, chosen,  cupped, profiled, roasted and prepared the last great affordable personal luxury.  More importantly we are the ones in the spot light that can champion all the others in the line and give them a voice.  It’s our privilege to work with and for such people.

All told, this has been a phenomenal experience, with a ton of lessons learned that will be brought to those around us.  Lessons that include a dramatic elevation in the knowledge of the origins and the impact, care and attention during processing have, to all of us at Fratello improving our ability to profile and create new blends.  We’re looking forward to the upcoming year and can’t wait to see what the future holds.  If any of you thought that this year was a close year, wait till next year.  The 14 (then the 6 in the finals) are nothing more than the tip of the iceberg that is the coffee industry…

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/some-impressions-on-the-canadian-national-barista-competition/feed/ 2 Joel taking a turn with a nice pour! http://www.fratellocoffee.com/joel-taking-a-turn-with-a-nice-pour/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/joel-taking-a-turn-with-a-nice-pour/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:28:51 +0000 chris http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/10/17/joel-taking-a-turn-with-a-nice-pour/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
I used to be the best in the building, but very quickly John & Joel are pulling away from me!! I had better start practicing! Good job guys.]]> I used to be the best in the building, but very quickly John & Joel are pulling away from me!! I had better start practicing! Good job guys.

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/joel-taking-a-turn-with-a-nice-pour/feed/ 0 First Slayer in Calgary!! http://www.fratellocoffee.com/first-slayer-in-calgary/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/first-slayer-in-calgary/#comments Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:20:00 +0000 russ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/07/26/first-slayer-in-calgary/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
It has been a little bit of a wait, and a very exciting one in deed, but the wait is over. The first of many Slayer installations in Calgary has]]> It has been a little bit of a wait, and a very exciting one in deed, but the wait is over. The first of many Slayer installations in Calgary has finally happend at Caffe Beano.Their 3 gp Slayer was installed a few days ago and both Jay and Dan have been working to ensure that this machine is working perfectly…..and it is.We went by Caffe Beano yesterday (a Wednesday) to make a few additional tweaks, and they mentioned that they have been busier than normal since the installation took place. They are doing the volumes typically seen on a weekend, in fact, people that normally have 1 espressoo are having 2 or 3 because they taste so good. WOW, what a difference an amazing piece of machinery makes. Below image show Dan making some final calibrations.

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/first-slayer-in-calgary/feed/ 0 Jason Training New Barista's http://www.fratellocoffee.com/jason-training-new-baristas/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/jason-training-new-baristas/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:09:00 +0000 chris http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/07/04/jason-training-new-baristas/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
Caffe Beano has spent a lot of time with us at our facilities over the last few weeks. Some in this group have been back 4 or more times to]]> Caffe Beano has spent a lot of time with us at our facilities over the last few weeks. Some in this group have been back 4 or more times to practice proper coffee-distribution, tamping & pulling shots w/ naked filters, plus getting used to heating and texturizing milk on the Slayer espresso machine. Their’s will be the first Slayer to hit Calgary, and owners Janice & Margie want to be sure that the espresso machine isn’t the only upgrade – which is why these staff have invested so much time with Jason & I to upgrade their skills.

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/jason-training-new-baristas/feed/ 1 CoffeeGeek http://www.fratellocoffee.com/coffeegeek/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/coffeegeek/#comments Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:10:00 +0000 chris http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/06/17/coffeegeek/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
While in Vancouver I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon drinking WAY too much coffee with Mark Prince (THE CoffeeGeek)! I have a high caffeine tolerance, but Mark drank]]> While in Vancouver I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon drinking WAY too much coffee with Mark Prince (THE CoffeeGeek)! I have a high caffeine tolerance, but Mark drank me under the table. While together we tested (several times) 4 espresso blends and 2 coffees then went out for more espresso on Commercial Drive!It was a great afternoon together… learned a lot of new things. Thanks Mark for the time!Mark doesn’t like having his photo taking (though he loves taking other peoples picture), but I hope you like this one. It is Mark in his mini home espresso lab!

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/coffeegeek/feed/ 0 Can you say SLAYER!!! http://www.fratellocoffee.com/can-you-say-slayer/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/can-you-say-slayer/#comments Fri, 08 Jun 2007 03:14:00 +0000 joel http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/06/07/can-you-say-slayer/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
The first time around was a tease, then it was gone. Much to our collective dismay… Now it’s back and lets just say there may be bloodshed should someone try]]> The first time around was a tease, then it was gone. Much to our collective dismay… Now it’s back and lets just say there may be bloodshed should someone try to take this one… You think I’m joking… See the name? Yeah that’s right. You’re wondering what I’m talking about.The “Slayer” is our newest creation, recreation, incarnation of the Espresso machine. In it’s current existence, it’s a La Marzocco that has been heavily modified. Things like PID, another boiler (yeah, I said that)… and those are the immediately obvious ones. So, with John and myself loitering ermm, I mean training ourselves. The beast came to life, and on the VERY FIRST SHOT, promptly knocked Jason’s socks off with an unbelievable shot. After that (and a few elbows) John and I were next… Might I say that never in my life have I had an Espresso that had that perfect, lovely, rich, deep brown/red crema, with a hint of flecking, the texture and mouth-feel of silk, and the flavor, well the flavor was everything that Blackjack had promised to be, and more. Pleasantly acidic, sweet, bold, full, rich… So, satisfied on that, we proceeded to pull shot after shot after shot, all the while extolling the virtues of this new machine like giddy 10 year olds on Christmas morning, literally freaking out… It was almost embarrassing. We sat there and dialed in how long it should take to steam 20oz of milk to 144 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 seconds – no, I’m not kidding about the accuracy), had the pressure set, the temperature set and off that went.Have I mentioned yet that the PID is accurate to somewhere inside 0.2 degrees??? and moves to whatever temperature you want it FAST, and stays there (trust me, you can’t get ahead of this machine). So now, the Barista can start with the bean, then the grind, the throw, then the tamp, add in the temperature, and you have unprecedented control and confidence in the fact that you are no longer having a mere espresso, you are having an experience, a moment, a “God shot”. Anyhow, you get what I’m saying.If this machine wasn’t called the “Slayer”, I’d be calling it “Sir” (I still might)…Following are a few pics of us prepping the newest member of our family.

The poster says it all… 

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/can-you-say-slayer/feed/ 0 Facebook Groups http://www.fratellocoffee.com/facebook-groups/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/facebook-groups/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 17:18:00 +0000 Jason http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/05/29/facebook-groups/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
Ok, I’m not sure you’ve signed up for Crackbook, errrr – Facebook yet, but I have to say that I am totally addicted! Its great to get back into touch]]> Ok, I’m not sure you’ve signed up for Crackbook, errrr – Facebook yet, but I have to say that I am totally addicted! Its great to get back into touch with old friend, but its also a great way to meet new people who are as into something as you are by joining a ‘group’.The most recent group I joined is called Espresso with Esprexifs, started by Mark Prince from Coffee Gee. Primarily its a photo group where you are asked to share your details about the espresso-based beverage you’re showing a picture of and you put as much detail as you can in the description, following the Exif Info model most digital cameras provide.What I love is this is a great way to learn new ideas and tricks on espresso brewing and milk texturing techniques from other people who REALLY love coffee. Check it out at:Espresso with EsprexifsThanks to Stephen Morrissey in London England for the pic.Jason

]]> http://www.fratellocoffee.com/facebook-groups/feed/ 0 Do we need a "Coffee Academy" in Calgary?? http://www.fratellocoffee.com/do-we-need-a-coffee-academy-in-calgary/ http://www.fratellocoffee.com/do-we-need-a-coffee-academy-in-calgary/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 02:30:00 +0000 chris http://www.fratellocoffee.com/2007/05/28/do-we-need-a-coffee-academy-in-calgary/ Warning: call_user_func_array(): First argumented is expected to be a valid callback, 'new_excerpt_more' was given in /var/www/html/wp-includes/plugin.php on line 166
For the last 17 years we have been asking our customers questions like, “What is the single greatest challenge about running your coffee house”, and time and time again people]]> For the last 17 years we have been asking our customers questions like, “What is the single greatest challenge about running your coffee house”, and time and time again people say it is “STAFF”! They comment on how there is high turn over and then training their staff to be highly skilled at pulling shots and general coffee expertise is hard to keep up with. I know we offer our “Coffee Knowledge Seminars” and “Advanced Espresso” classes, but what if we did something like we saw when we went to Korea? Late one night we were taken to one of our customers, the “Coffee Acadamy” which exists simply to train professional barristas on espresso preparation! I was so impressed that they had this relatively large facility dedicated to educating professional barristas! Just today I was thinking of how we could serve customers here in town by organizing a ‘coffee university’ that churned-out hard-core coffee enthusiasts into our city so that our customers had a greater pool of trained barristas to draw on. It still bugs me how few good places there are to go for a good cappo in this city. But I certainly do understand the challange. Just a thought. What do you think? Just a thought. What do you think?Here is the “Coffee Acadamy” in Korea: Here I am trying to pour latte art! Everyone was standing around watching like I was about to preform an interesting magic act! It threw me off and I poured a terrible rosseta! I think I blamed it on the jet-lag or something!

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