Coffee Fest

Coffee, as well as a healthy competitive streak, a group of 40 baristas
will gather at ChicagoFree Pour Latte Art Championship held Friday, February 20 through Sunday,
February 22, 2009. Baristas will battle for a first prize purse of $5,000.

Latte art continues to draw big crowds and attract talented baristas from
around the country as they deftly couple the nuance of coffee making with
the whimsy of foamy creations. Local Chicagoans are getting in on the act
and will represent The Italian Coffee Bar and The Brothers K Coffeehouse.
The Coffee Hound from Bloomington is sending their best barista as is
Jeremiah Joe Coffee in Marseilles. Watch as the locals battle it out with
a national field of coffee professionals that range from Seattle, Wash.,
to Charlotte, N.C., from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Los Angeles, Calif., and Salem
Mass., to Portland, Ore. -- and many stops in between.

Just the Cup

Baristas receive a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute period to craft up to
three drinks that will pass muster with the three coffee industry judges.
Each cup with be judged using a 90-point scoring among four categories aesthetic beauty and balance, color infusion, definition and creativity.
Judges are outfitted with headphones and curtained off from the
contestants in a concerted effort to keep the critique focused solely on
the pour Stackhouse from Millrock, Chris DeFerio, a two-time winner of Latte Art
Championships, and Sarah Allen, publisher of Barista Magazine.

Scores are posted immediately to a leader board that moves competitors up
or out after each round. Larger than life shots of each pour are projected
to the audience who can judge for themselves. The most dexterous
combination of technical expertise and artistic whimsy will yield the top
prize of $5,000. The second place winner will receive $1,000 and third
place victor will pull in $500.

Preliminary Rounds: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 12p.m.

Finals: Sunday at 9 a.m.

This year Coffee Fest welcomes new sponsor Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
to its list of sponsors and presenters Simonelli and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. the Latte Art Championship supporters,show manager. just as entertainment but as a tool to raise the bar of coffee knowledge
within the specialty coffee industry.

About Coffee Fest

Coffee Fest has been bringing the specialty coffee, gourmet tea and
alternative beverage industry professionals together since 1992 when the
show first got its start as a consumer coffee festival in Seattle. Since
1998, retailers, roasters, distributors and manufacturers together for thrice
annual trade shows to help attendees build and refine their businesses,
get the first peek at new products and remain current with coffee and tea
industry trends. Coffee Fest hosted its first show off the mainland in
Hawaii in June. In November 2008, Coffee Fest hosted its first
international show in Hong Kong. For more information about all the shows,
go to www.coffeefest.com