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{{Short description|Person who prepares and serves coffee drinks}}{{Distinguish|Barrister}}{{About|coffee-house employees|the 2015 documentary film|Barista (film)|the espresso bar chain|Barista Lavazza}} A barista ({{IPAc-en|b|É™|ˈ|ɹ|iː|s|t|É™|,_|-|ˈ|ɹ|ɪ|s|-}} {{respell|bÉ™|REE|stÉ™|,_|bÉ™|RIST|É™}}, {{IPA-it|baˈrista|lang}}; “bartender“) is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks and other beverages.

Etymology and inflection

The word ”barista” comes from Italian, where it means a male or female “bartender” who typically works behind a counter,WEB,www.etymonline.com/word/barista, barista {{!, Origin and meaning of barista by Online Etymology Dictionary|website=www.etymonline.com|language=en|access-date=2019-11-06}} serving hot drinks (such as espresso), cold alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks.WEB,www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-a-barista-765030, What It Means to Be a Barista, The Spruce Eats, en, 2019-11-06, The native plural in Italian is baristi for masculine (literally “barmen”, “bartenders“) or bariste for feminine (literally “barmaids“), while in English and Spanish is baristas.

Application of the title

File:Gwilym Davies.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Gwilym Davies, WBC champion 2009]]While the title is not regulated, most{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} coffee shops use the title to describe the preparer of coffee and operator of an espresso machine.(File:Linea doubleespresso.jpg|thumb|upright|Good espresso-making is essential to a barista’s role.)File:Latte at Doppio Ristretto Chiang Mai 02.jpg|thumb|upright|Latte artLatte artFile:Barista - Ystad -2013.jpg|thumb|220px|A barista with his mobile espresso bar in YstadYstadBaristas generally operate a commercial espresso machine, and their role is preparing and pulling the shot; the degree to which this is automated or done manually varies significantly, ranging from push-button operation to an involved manual process. Espresso is a notoriously finicky beverage, and good manual espresso-making is considered a skilled task. Further, preparation of other beverages, particularly milk-based drinks such as cappuccinos and lattes, but also non-espresso coffee such as drip or press pot, requires additional work and skill for effective frothing, pouring and most often latte art. In Starbucks, over the counter employees are referred to as “baristas”, although the preparation process is fully automated.The barista usually has been trained to operate the machine and to prepare the coffee based on the guidelines of the roaster or shop owner, while more experienced baristas may have discretion to vary preparation or experiment.To make the coffee well, there is a series of steps needing attention, including grinding the beans, extracting the coffee, frothing the milk and pouring.WEB,travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/how-make-perfect-coffee-424892?page=0,0, How to make perfect coffee: Sydney’s best baristas reveal their secrets, 10 November 2011, 10 June 2015, CNN, Anand, Shitka, dead,travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/how-make-perfect-coffee-424892?page=0%2C0," title="web.archive.org/web/20150610065948travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/how-make-perfect-coffee-424892?page=0%2C0,">web.archive.org/web/20150610065948travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/how-make-perfect-coffee-424892?page=0%2C0, 10 June 2015, Beyond the preparation of espresso and other beverages and general customer service, skilled baristas acquire knowledge of the entire process of coffee to effectively prepare a desired cup of coffee, including maintenance and programming of the machine, grinding methods, roasting, and coffee plant cultivation, similar to how a sommelier is familiar with the entire process of winemaking and consumption. A barista can acquire these skills by attending training classes, but they are more commonly learned on the job.

Competition

Formal barista competitions originated in Norway,Wendelboe, Tim (May 1, 2005) The Future of the World Barista Championship. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120130024coffeegeek.com/opinions/professionals/05-01-2006 |date=2012-11-20 }} “CoffeeGeek.com” Retrieved on 2006-oct-25 and one such is the World Barista Championships, held annually at varied international locations.WEB,www.worldbaristachampionship.org/, World Barista Championship, Baristas worldwide compete, though they must first compete in a competition held in their own country to qualify to enter in the WBC, such as the United States Barista Championship.{{Cn|date=November 2023}} The knowledge sharing at WBC is credited with spreading the beverage espresso and tonic to North America.WEB, Deep Dive: What Is an Espresso Tonic? {{!, Trade Coffee |url=https://www.drinktrade.com/blog/education/what-is-espresso-tonic |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=www.drinktrade.com |language=en}}

See also

• Bikini barista
• Milkman
• Soda jerk
• Sommelier

References

{{Reflist}}{{Coffee|nocat=1}}{{Coffee in Italy}}{{Authority control}}