Defending competitor Lindsey Myers brings new face Faith Wieder to the Great Lakes Barista Competition.

Canton, OH March 11th-14th- Muggswigz Coffee and Tea co. will be sending two of their highly trained and skilled baristas to The Great Lakes Barista Competition in Milwaukee, WI.

Lindsey Myers is a defending competitor and has competed in the competition for the past four years. "My favorite part of the competition is that it encompasses everything that a barista has to offer-technical skills, efficiency, sense, knowledge, creativity, and delicious drinks,” says Lindsey. “The process really fuels professional development and innovation in coffee culture." Not only is Lindsey a competitor, but she is also among the highest scoring baristas in Ohio.

"I feel so privileged to be with someone who takes their profession serious and has a clear, defined passion for this sort of thing," says first-year competitor Faith Wieder. "I already take pride in my job, but this adds a whole new level of ownership."

The baristas at the competition will be given a total of 45 minutes to bring their best game face. The first 15 minutes is preparation time, which allows the baristas time to set up their presentation, work space, and to squeeze in their last ounce of mental preparation before the competition. The second 15 minutes is when the judging begins. Each competitor must make four shots of espresso, four cappuccinos, and four “specialty drinks” for the four sensory judges. The specialty drink should enhance the espresso bean the competitor chose and display the individual’s creativity. The competition is overseen by a head judge and two technical judges in addition to the four sensory judges.  The final 15 minutes should be clean up time.

According to the United States Barista Championship Official Rules and Regulations, the judges are looking for a barista who has “mastery of technical skills, craftsmanship, communication skills, and who is passionate about their profession in addition to service.” They should “have a broad understanding of coffee knowledge and serves the high quality beverages.” They should be able to “serve as a role model and source of inspiration.”

The SCAA Barista Championship will be streamed online Sunday, March 14^th at http://usbaristachampionship.org/.  Lindsey and Faith will also be documenting their experience on the Muggswigz fan page on Facebook.

Muggswigz Coffee and Tea co. is located at 137 Walnut Ave. Canton, OH 44702. They have an extensive featuring traditional coffee drinks and tea, baked goods made in store, and make their own syrups, as well as do latte art on espresso drinks.