The art of coffee-making: The Southwest Regional Barista Competition

Southwest Regional Barista Competition, March 4-6 

It's considered the Iron Chef of barista competitions. This weekend, Hollywood will play host to the Southwest Regional Barista Competition #SWBaristaChamp, proudly sponsored by the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® for the second year in a row. Professional and amateur baristas from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah will descend upon Siren Studios to compete for six spots at the United States Barista Championship in Texas later this spring, and for a chance to represent the U.S. in the World Barista Championship (oh, yes, there is such a thing!) in Bogota Columbia in June.


Lest you think this is all fun and games, the 3-day competition will put the challengers through the coffee-making ringer, testing not only their skills, but also their professionalism and passion for the craft. Check out some of the competitor bios here.

The event is open to the public and promises to be an entertaining experience. In true L.A. style, many of our city's famous food trucks will be on hand to feed the masses. Live musical performances and after parties are also scheduled. For those of you who like free stuff (and who doesn't like free?), the first 100 people to check in with Foursquare at the competition will receive a Coffee Bean bag of swag and coffee goodies.

The Southwest Regional Barista Competition will take place March 4-6 at Siren Studios in Hollywood. Visit ExperienceLA.com for more details. Follow @baristaguild, @theCoffeeBean, and #SWBaristaChamp on Twitter for the latest event details, food truck arrivals, live bands and after party locations.



-Julie