Roasters Hold Barista Training Workshops

By ANNE KIM Sunday, March 11, 2007

SEATTLE - Melody Katz sprayed steamy, hot water over shot glasses and set them into an espresso machine, where they caught streams of creamy brown espresso. She swirled a glass, smelled the espresso and took a sip. "It's a little burnt," said the 25-year-old bakery manager, who traveled from California for a weekend barista training workshop at Seattle's Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company.

Zoka is one of several specialty coffee roasters in Seattle that hold regular training sessions for their wholesale customers _ including espresso bars, restaurants, and bakeries _ on how to make a high-end espresso drinks.

And participation in these workshops has grown, roasters say. During the training sessions, which range from onsite training to weekend-long workshop events, customers learn everything from how to make rosettes, or leaf designs on the tops of drinks, to how to clean machines.

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