Today BARISTA the film is released on iTunes and in select theaters. It is a documentary directed by Rock Baijnauth that follows five competitive baristas on their journey to national competition. Whether you are interested in coffee or not, I highly recommend watching and being inspired. 

Cheers to Charlie Habegger, Charles Babinski, Eden Marie Abramowicz, Truman Severson, Ryan Redden and all of the other coffee professionals in the film. It's the human element that makes coffee meaningful and BARISTA shares their stories in an engaging way. 

BARISTA gives a snapshot into the lives of a few who work tirelessly in the pursuit of coffee, influencing the specialty industry, pushing the envelope and setting standards for excellence. The barista's featured in the film only make up a tiny percentage of all those who compete, but seeing their stories on the big screen brings an extra stamp of validity to the entirety of competition–one that could potentially begin to elevate the title 'Barista' outside of the industry. 

Film is the perfect medium to communicate coffee as culinary to those that don't have an understanding of its potential. In this regard, BARISTA is a huge success. I can't count the number of conversations I've had where I've tried to explain my interest in specialty coffee that have fallen on deaf ears. As I see it, this could potentially mean two things: a) my storytelling needs some serious work, and b) Coffee is often disregarded because it is ubiquitous and misunderstood. BARISTA exposes the pinnacle of specialty coffee in a positive and enlightening way that can only broaden the conversation and expand the industry. I'm really excited about it, and I hope you are, too!