Great Lakes Barista Jam October 24, 2008

Cancellation opens 2 more tickets



(Holy Cow, who knew? The first Great Lakes Barista Jam sold out in record time. We have had people contacting us wanting to know if they can still get in somehow and asking to be put on a waiting list. Because of the overwhelming demand for another jam we will schedule another one in the very near future. Sign up for updates at the bottom of this page or check back often!)





JP’s Coffee and the Midwest Barista School

present the

First Great Lakes Regional Barista Jam

What is a Barista Jam?

A gathering of baristas from different coffee shops, from different areas all getting together for education, training, practice, fun and more.

A good time will be had by all with an experience that generates a renewed sense of enthusiasm and a new drive to a more refined level of espresso expertise. In other words... it's a big party where you learn a lot and get to see top-notch coffee artists push their limits.

Come out and join the fun!



Barista jam goals:

1. Enhance baristas knowledge and skill.
2. Enhance espresso drink quality.
3. Build community between coffee people.



How often will we have one?

At this time we don’t know for sure. If this first one is successful and accomplishes most of the goals we have set for it, we would like to do them two to four times a year.



Who can come?

We have limited the attendance to the following:

* No more than 2 people from one store location.
* Must be over 16 years old.
* Must be employed as an employee, manager or owner of a coffee shop, store, kiosk, cart, drive thru or other place where espresso drinks are made and served
* Must have at least basic training in espresso drink preparation.



Who are some of the Sponsors?

* JP's Coffee and Espresso Bar and the Midwest Barista School
* Barista Exchange and Bellisimo Coffee Group
* Rancilio espresso machines
* Nuova Simonelli espresso machines
* LaCimbali espresso machines
* Magnum Coffee Roasters
* Bareman's Dairy dairy supplier for Great Lakes area
* Kerry Food Group distributor of Oregon Chai, DaVinci syrups and Jet Tea
* Stirling, Oscar and Monin syrups
* Espresso Parts
* Espresso Supply
* Barista Magazine
* and more...

How much does it cost to attend?

$40 per person (attendance limited to first 32 to sign up)



What does that include?

* Training classes - espresso, milk steaming and latte art
* Educational classes - learn about coffee, its' history and the industry
* Learn from other baristas from other stores and locations
* Free Time on machines with espresso, syrups, milk, etc. all provided
* Coffee and muffins in the morning before the day begins
* Pizza party with refreshments afterwords
* Door prizes and gifts for attendeesAdvanced Barista Training and Extreme BaristaTraining with the Champions
o 1 copy of "Advanced Barista Training and Extreme Barista" training DVD to give away (drawing).
o 1 copy of "Training with the Champions" training DVD to give away (drawing).
o T-shirts, mugs and other goodies as give aways from sponsors.
o Free bag of espresso for all attendees to take home.

Who is going to be teaching and training?



Guest Barista Champion Ryan Dennhardt from High Road Coffee Consulting and Barista's Daily Grind and in Kearny, NE. Ryan has been in the coffee business for about 7 years. In that short time has established himself as a highly-acclaimed barista who routinely competes in USBC,WBC, and Ultimate Barista competitions. Ryan also has a passion for helping other "do it right" and loves to share what he has learned.

Ryan's award list:

Ryan Dennhardt, barista champion

* 2004, 2006 Midwest Barista Champion ; 2005 3rd place
* 2004 U.S. Barista Championships, 4th place
* 2005 U.S. Barista Championships, 5th place
* 2006 U.S. Barista Championships, 7th place

Ryan's appearances:

* 2006 Ultimate Barista Challenge, Latte Art: LA
* 2006 Ultimate Barista Challenge: LA
* 2006 Ultimate Barista Challenge-Frappe/cocktail: LA
* 2007 Ultimate Barista USA: LA
* 2007 Ultimate Barista USA: Miami
* 2007 Ultimate Barista USA: Orlando
* 2007 Ultimate Barista USA: NYC

Alex Chojolan

JP's Coffee and Midwest Barista School trainer Alex Chojolan will also be training and demonstrating. Alex is responsible for JP's Barista Training and Certification Program for all JP's baristas, as well as being the Advanced Barista trainer for the Midwest Barista School and On Track Coffee Consulting. Alex is originally from Guatamala and was born with coffee in his veins. He has a passion for excellence, for educating others in the how to of espresso perfection and creating latte art. He loves it when people get their "AHA" moment and the understanding comes.

Kevin Kinkhe cuppping

Coffee cupping will be lead by Kevin Kinkhe of Magnum Coffee Roasters. Kevin is one of the most highly respected coffee cuppers in the world. He travels to source regularly and personally cups all the coffees his company sells. Kevin did his Masters on the creation of a specialty coffee roastery, was part of the original group of vision setters for the SCAA's coffee roaster guidelines, and has a great ability to keep things simple when cupping coffee.

Jack Groot judging at the SCAA's barista competition

Jack Groot will be leading the Coffee Education Classes. Jack has been in food service for over 30 years and in the coffee industry for over 15 years. He owns and operates JP's Coffee in Holland, MI, is the founder of the Midwest Barista School and On Track Coffee Consulting and has consulted with hundreds of coffee bars and individuals throughout the U.S., Canada and more. Jack is also a certified judge for SCAA Barista Competitions.



Can I bring my own espresso or syrups?

Yes, we encourage you to bring along your goods, especially your espresso. You may want to try and compare yours with others and see what yours tastes like on other equipment.



How do I reserve a specific class or training time?

We will have a master sign up and anyone who emails us and requests a specific time(s) for a class or session will be signed up for that time.



Summary: what’s gonna be happening at the Barista Jam?

Educational classes

* Training classes - we’ll have 4 espresso machines set up with class time for espresso extraction, milk steaming, and latte art. Our own Alex Chojolan, Justin DeWaard, Jonathan White, Terika Raak, and Anna Lokers will be training, plus we're bringing in barista champion Ryan Dennhardt.
* Coffee cupping - Kevin Kinkhe, quality cupper and owner of Magnum Coffee, will be leading coffee cupping sessions. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a master cupper.
* Coffee education classes - Jack Groot, owner of JP’s and founder of MBS, will teach classes on the history of coffee, how coffee goes from seed to cup and all about the coffee industry.

Fun time

* Jam time (free time on machines) - there will be free time for all attendees to practice, learn and challenge one another on 4 different espresso machines.
* Evening party - We’ll be providing pizza and refreshments after the event with a couple of hours to hang out, get to know baristas from other stores and have more free time on the equipment.

Schedule

* 7:00AM - 8:30AM - Early arrival
* 8:30AM - 11:45AM - Morning classes
* 11:45AM - 1:45PM - Free time (lunch, free time on machines)
* 1:45PM - 4:30PM - Afternoon classes
* 5:00PM - 8:00PM - Pizza and party

Updates

To receive updates on this and future Jams, submit the form below (make sure to respond to the confirmation email or you will not receive updates):

Name

Email





Jam Schedule

(If the Barista Jam Schedule PDF doesn't show up in your browser, Click on the link below or copy and pasteit into a new browser window - http://jpscoffee.com/glbaristajam/BaristaJamschedule.pdf)

Barista Jam schedule

Official Website: http://glbaristajam.eventbrite.com/