If you ever find yourself in a room full of people, drinks being poured, and a giant bracket posted on a white board, you’re probably in one of two places: a sports bar during March Madness, or a coffee house during a latte art throwdown.
While latte art is a popular subject for people posting photos of their drinks on social media, the quality of the art is also a determination of the deliciousness of the drink.
“It’s a sign that you’re taking care in what your doing with the coffee,” says Chuck Korson, owner of BLK MRKT, a coffee shop in Traverse City. “It’s the most easily recognizable manifestation of the care that is put into the coffee making,” he says.
Baristas will tell you that if the milk isn’t steamed just right, or if it’s not aerated or stretched properly, it’s impossible to get a defined image in the latte. So, great latte art proves that the barista not only cares about giving out a good looking latte, but also a delicious latte.
BLK MRKT can be considered a part of what’s called coffee’s “third wave.” The first wave of coffee was all about large scale availability. That’s when Folgers, Maxwell House, and other instant coffees became popular. The second wave was better coffee, but with more of a focus on the social experience of drinking the coffee in a brick and mortar building. Now, the third wave is more about very high quality beans, gathered responsibly and served elegantly.
Regardless of whether or not people really understand all the ins and outs of the craft coffee business today, Chuck Korson says in the end, people respond to beauty.
“Even if you don’t know the difference between a coffee from Nicaragua, and a coffee from Ethiopia,” he says.
Here's some latte art for you to watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25N1XcwL2hw
