When you are standing in line at a coffee shop early in the morning, trying to pry your eyes open, the barista has already been at work for several hours. In Italy, barista is a coveted title. It\'s a career that requires significant apprenticeship, but in the US, the term barista is given to anyone who works an espresso machine, whether he or she is truly skilled at the job or not.
You will not find an amateur barista at Mugsy\'s Coffee Company unless he or she is in a training class. After closing, expert baristas and those soon to be experts gather around the high-powered espresso machine listening intently to the instructor at Mugsy\'s. The intricate techniques of brewing espresso and steaming milk were talked about and practiced over and over again. Critiques from instructor and students added to the experience and education.
\"We have always been known for serving great coffee and especially espresso\" says Ray Huot, owner and roaster at Mugsy\'s Coffee, \"Professional training of our baristas is the key to ensuring that we remain on top of the coffee world. Having control of your product as we do allows us to maintain quality and taste from raw bean to cup. We monitor all the way from selecting and roasting the green coffees to the brewing of the espresso.\"
Espresso is a highly concentrated extraction from the coffee. Every step of the process is critical to the taste of the final product. The coffee must be precisely ground and the machine properly tuned to allow the barista to extract the best espresso. A great espresso will be brewed in 20-30 seconds and everything from the way it is ground to the way it is packed or \"tamped\" can affect the brew time. A shot of espresso that does not meet our standards is never served.
The milk-steaming process is just as important as any other part of the drink preparation. Careful attention is paid to the temperature and texture of the milk as it is steamed, always looking for the perfect milk foam and precise temperature.
Several of our employees went to Nashville for a Coffee 101 class with Carolyn Benedict, the professional barista trainer from Bongo Java. We spent the afternoon learning the finer points of espresso brewing.
\"It was not all work,\" says Nicole, one of our top baristas. \"We spent a lot of time making latte art.\" Latte art is the pouring of the milk into the espresso so it makes a design in the foam. \"We can\'t wait to put some of our refined techniques to the test.\"
Our team members are even more confident in their ability to bring the best espresso and espresso-based drinks to Clarksville. Our customers want the best and we want to brew it.
