By Emma Murphy, contributing writer
Making a good cup of espresso is an art in and of itself. But, Dean & DeLuca baristas are taking the coffee making process one step further and topping lattes and cappuccinos with beautiful designs—latte art.
There are two kinds of latte art: etching and free-pour. Etching involves using a toothpick or other tool to sketch patterns in finished drinks. Free-pour latte art is generally more respected within the coffee world because it’s uncontrived and therefore more challenging and a strong measure of barista skill.
To create free-pour latte art, baristas begin by pulling a shot of espresso. They freshly grind espresso beans and tamp (or compact) the ground beans with thirty pounds of pressure to regulate the flow of water through the grind. Then, they steam fresh milk until it is laced with fine bubbles and textured like wet paint. As they pour the steamed milk into the espresso, they manipulate the milk pitcher with quick flicks of the wrist.
Hearts and tulips are among the popular designs you’ll see baristas create. When baristas pour a design called a rosetta, which resembles a fern leaf, they differentiate themselves by the number of fronds they are able to produce—the more fronds, the higher their skill level. (And the more bragging rights they get!)
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We at Dean & DeLuca have been so impressed by the latte art our baristas are pouring that we’ve decided to hold an internal, nationwide latte art competition. On Wednesday, February 24th, the 8 most talented latte artists from Dean & DeLuca locations across the U.S. will come together in NYC to compete in a high-stakes latte art throwdown. The competition will begin at 3pm at Dean & DeLuca’s New York Times Café (620 eighth Ave. at 40th). The event is free and open to the public, so if you’ll be in the area, come join the fun!
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Comments ( 3 )
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DEAN & DELUCA, Emma Murphy. Emma Murphy said: In the midst of organizing @DeanandDeluca's first-ever latte art throwdown. http://b.deandeluca.com/latte-art Going to be a great event! [...]
Tweets that mention Latte Art Throwdown | The Gourmet Food Blog -- Topsy.com added these pithy words on Feb 08 10 at 5:39 pmHi, do I have a chance to know if Dean & DeLuca will open any store in China? Especially in Shen Zhen City. (http://www.shenzhentour.com/_english/index.asp)
sonia.hung added these pithy words on Jun 21 10 at 3:07 am I'm searching for a very skilled Etching artist interested in discussing a commercial application for a photo shoot.
david@dbishop.net
David Bishop added these pithy words on Feb 07 11 at 12:10 pm 
