World Coffee Championships Podcast

“Paint a Picture” traces the history and evolution of the World Latte Art Championship through the medium itself, from early etchings to the innovative realistic pours that grace the competition’s stage today. Along the way, co-host Rie Moustakis leads us through stories about the role of the rules, the value of art, and family dynamics through interviews with Carl Sara, Daniel Acosta Busch, and Um Paul.

Learn more about this episode of the WCC Podcast, made possible with the support of Victoria Arduino and URNEX, including a full transcript and credits at sca.coffee/sca-news/listen/wcc-podcast/02-paint-a-picture

Show Notes

This week, we’re excited to launch the second episode of the World Coffee Championships Podcast. 

“Paint a Picture” traces the history and evolution of the World Latte Art Championship through the medium itself, from early etchings to the innovative realistic pours that grace the competition’s stage today. Along the way, co-host Rie Moustakis leads us through stories about the role of the rules, the value of art, and family dynamics through interviews with Carl Sara, Daniel Acosta Busch, and Um Paul. 

Special Thanks to Our Series Sponsor, Victoria Arduino
This series of the WCC Podcast is brought to you by Victoria Arduino. Born in the early twentieth century amid social and cultural transformation, Victoria Arduino broke with tradition and focused on progress, a mission it carries forward today. Victoria Arduino advances coffee knowledge and innovates across design, technology, and performance to produce machines that nurture coffee professionals' passion for espresso excellence. For more information, visit victoriaarduino.com. Victoria Arduino: Inspired by your passion.

Special Thanks to Our Episode Sponsor, URNEX
This episode of the WCC Podcast was made possible with support from Urnex. Even the slightest unwelcome scent or taste of bitterness can ruin a delicious coffee. Whether you have a dirty grinder, a grimy group head, or a soiled steam wand, Urnex has a product that can remove the buildup of oils, fats, and minerals that occurs from the regular preparation of coffee beverages in cafés and at home. Learn more about Urnex and its new line of biodegradable cleaners by visiting Urnex.com. 

We’d like to thank Rie Moustakis, our co-host for this episode, and our interviewees for their time in sharing their stories about the World Latte Art Championship, in order of appearance: Carl Sara, Daniel Acosta Busch, and Um Paul. Thanks, too, to Madbirder for the recording of the Quetzal bird and to Um Paul for letting us use his tracks to help illustrate his story. 

For a full list of those who helped across the entire series, a year-long effort, click here. Series 01 of the World Coffee Championships Podcast was produced by James Harper of Filter Productions for the Specialty Coffee Association. 

What is World Coffee Championships Podcast?

Where did the World Coffee Championships come from? How did things go wrong? How were they fixed? Across six episodes, we'll hear from people who come together every year to celebrate specialty coffee and push the industry forward, exploring the role competitions play in different communities and recognizing the large network of volunteers who make these annual events possible.

While we're disappointed that the competitions aren't happening this year, we hope this podcast will help us feel more connected. And, if this is the first time you've ever heard of the World Coffee Championships, this series will give you an entertaining window into this world and why so many of us love it so much.