Grind of a lifetime could quench thirst to be best barista in world

Phuong Tran is usually making cappuccinos or pulling espresso shots when she realizes she's out of time.

"Oh no!" she panics.

Then she wakes up.

Tran, the 2005 U.S. champion barista, is training for the Olympic games of the specialty-coffee world.

The World Barista Championship will take place in Seattle April 15-18 in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of America's annual conference.

In the contest's five-year history, Norway and Denmark have won twice. Australia is the lone non-Scandinavian winner.

Canada placed second last year. That's the closest North America has been to touching mocha.

"Hopefully, Phuong will take us to the top this year," said Jeff Babcock, co-owner of Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea, where Tran coaches new baristas on the art of making specialty-coffee drinks. "But it's so tough."

And so she trains.

In Zoka's unfinished Ballard headquarters. Just above a harp-making studio.

Let the games begin.

Tick, tick, tick.

30 minutes

Tran sets up her workstation. She pulls coffee, milk, cups, glasses, sugar, spices and tools off a cart.

Forgot the grinder? Forget it. She has to go fetch it herself, wherever it is. Someone slips her a stirring spoon and she's disqualified.

Tick, tick, tick.

25 minutes

It's time to fine-tune her espresso grind like a classical guitar.

Too coarse a grind, and the espresso shot flows too fast. Too fine, and it draws too slow.

The perfect, 1-ounce espresso shot takes between 20 to 30 seconds to draw.

The contest is decided before it begins.

Tick, tick, tick.

JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES "I was always taught: If you do something, do it well," says Phuong Tran, who stayed up all night practicing her techniques before the U.S. Barista Championship earlier this month. She hopes to become the first U.S. barista to win the international contest in April.

20 minutes

Time to clean up the workstation. Loose coffee grounds lose points.

Up to six, to be exact.

Tick, tick, tick.

15 minutes

The drink-making starts.

Tran faces four sensory judges (who taste the drinks), two technical judges (who evaluate her presentation and technical skills) and a head judge.

She opens by explaining the drinks she'll prepare for the sensory judges: four espressos, four cappuccinos and four identical copies of her signature-style drink, the Crimson Sage.

Tick, tick, tick.

12-½ minutes

First, the espresso.

Tran becomes one with her inner gunfighter. From this moment, it's all about nuance and speed.

When she tamps the espresso grounds, is her elbow at a 90-degree angle? (It's the only way the water evenly permeates and extracts the coffee.)

Is the crema hazelnut and dark brown with a reddish reflection?

The judges are watching.

Tick, tick, tick.

10 minutes

On to the cappuccino. This drink takes longer, because she has to steam the milk. So many little details:

Did she clean the pitcher? Purge the steam wand?

How velvety is the foam? Does it stand an inch high or more when judges pull it away with a spoon?

If the espresso and foam synchronize, her drink is in perfect tune.

Tick, tick, tick.

5 minutes

Tran's signature drink is to coffee what Ichiro's swing is to baseball: one of a kind.

The Crimson Sage latte is an espresso shot with sugar-cane juice, sage-infused steamed milk and a touch of white pepper.

The drink is served in crimson-colored shot glasses.

Tick, tick, tick.

Time.

Go over 30 seconds, it's five points. Go over 2 minutes, you're out.

How high are the stakes?

Prizes aren't set yet, although past winners have received trips to various coffee-origin countries and their likeness on a Da Vinci Gourmet syrup bottle.

They've received professional espresso machines and instant celebrity.

The 2003 winner, Paul Bassett of Australia, now has a 13-part series on The Lifestyle Channel called "Living Coffee." He is the official spokesman for Crema-brand barista milk.

Tran, who won a barista toolkit and cash award in the national contest, wants to be the first U.S. master barista to win the title. The Nordics shouldn't underestimate her, at least not her stamina.

Tran was in Japan for three weeks training baristas at Zoka's new coffee shop in Tokyo. She returned March 5 with just one week to finalize her routine and signature drink for the U.S. Barista Championship.

The night before the competition, Tran returned to work after dinner to practice. She stayed up all night perfecting her routine, save power naps in-between.

"I was always taught: If you do something, do it well," she said.

Game on.

Monica Soto Ouchi: 206-515-5632 or msoto@seattletimes.com