The way of the barista.

This is a debate post.

In my opinion there are two ways to be a barista. As a job and as a lifestyle. What you see in a lot of coffeeshops even some of the good ones is that there is a big amount of "job"-baristas (i think I will call then that in this post) and not "lifestyle"-baristas. And you see it the moment you look at them or the "brewingplace". They are not concentrated, they work slowly, they doesnt clean and the place is just a mess to look at. There is a big sign saying "Barista-Gunsil work here". When you then taste the coffee made from the job-barista, the taste is just like their job. Messy, unclean, not focused on the tastyness and just not good. It is sad that it is happening so many places. Maybe it is the concept of the place to not having that great coffees but when you then see it in really good coffeeshops you start to wonder. How can this happen? Can the manager not see it or has he not made an effort to get the barista to understand the principles of making good coffee?

What can we do as outside people to help coffeeshops to get better? Should we confront them or should we just go to our little closed world and only drink coffee from certain people? How can we make it more popular to be a Lifestyle-barista? How can we get people caught in our world. Because that is what you do. You get caught in this world of specialty coffee.

On the other side though. It is absolutely trilling for me to come to a new place and see new baristas who are either trying to be or being a lifestyle-barista. And in my eyes a lifestyle-barista is one who understands the principles of brewing. Not only the technique of brewing but the whole chain of coffee. He has respect for the people who made it possible for him to be able to stand and work with such great materials. That be beans, grinder, machine, accesories and milk and a lot of other things.
Its wonderful to see a barista who combines all of these things and put it in the coffee. When you taste the coffee you can taste how interesting the baristas life is. You can taste his feelings and reflections and find his personality in the coffee and that my friend is what I dare to call as close to a perfect espresso, clover or any cup of coffee as you can get. There cant be any: "it should" "it ought" or any other phrases like that when you taste another baristas coffee. You can do it with your own coffee but not others. Because it will never be like it "should" or "ought to" be.
That is just my opinion please give me yours.

Mowgli