U.S. Master Barista Series
February 18, 2010
NEW YORK, NY, February 18, 2010 – Think a little lemon slice is espresso’s crowning touch? Giorgio Milos, illycaffè’s Italian Master Barista, says an emphatic “no,” and is coming to the U.S. to explain why, serving up a potent blend of coffee knowledge to consumers and leading hotels, restaurants and cafés. Milos will spearhead illy’s drive to set the record straight on espresso and other coffee preparation, demystifying and debunking myths, and taking Americans’ coffee knowledge to new heights through hands-on training, expert tasting sessions and more.
Milos is a 36-year old leading coffee expert with barista training dating to his teens, starting in illy’s catering division.
He is a Specialty Coffee Association of Europe-certified Master Barista, a top finisher in the World Barista Championships and on faculty at illy’s Università del Caffe (UDC), where the world’s leading restaurants and cafes come for by-invitation-only master coffee training. On loan to the U.S. throughout the year, Milos is bringing UDC’s principles and practices to America’s leading gourmet retailers, restaurants, hotels, cooking schools, and top independent cafés that serve illy.
The consumer-facing side of the program, under the Master Barista Series banner, will offer Milos-led instruction in preparation and tasting. The focus is hands-on, learning how to best enjoy and prepare fine coffee, simplifying and demystifying the process, and banishing a myth or two (lemon peels: not on Milos’s tasting curriculum).
Milos’s first stop is The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (February 25-28), debuting a version of “Be Your Own Barista,” a course for consumer coffee enthusiasts giving hands-on training in areas like espresso preparation, milk steaming and specialty beverage making, with healthy doses of coffee history and agronomy, essential to any budding home barista. “Coffee Sense,” focusing on tasting, and “Coffee Aficionado,” covering tasting and preparation in more depth, round out the consumer series, to be presented at gourmet retailers across the U.S. throughout the year.
“We’re fortunate and energized to have Giorgio with us this year. He is truly one of coffee’s great artisans,” said Greg Fea, president, illycaffè North America. “He comes at the right time, with Americans appreciating better coffee, and passionate fans wanting to learn more. And our top restaurant partners and cafés can’t wait for Giorgio to work with their staff, to perfect their espresso and advanced coffee beverage know-how.
“Bottom line, illy is obsessed with quality. Many places that serve us tout our brand on the menu. So we need to be perfect, or as close to it, every time, and the only way to do that is through hands-on training,” Fea added. “Giorgio comes here with a man on a mission mindset. By dint of deep knowledge, experience and charisma, he is as good as it gets.”
Milos’s travels will take him to top hotels, restaurants and cafes in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and other American food capitals, where he’ll go into the kitchen and behind the bar for multi-day staff training. Topics will range from basic espresso preparation, advanced coffee beverage making (including alcohol-infused drinks), proper bean storage and grinding methods and optimal equipment usage and maintenance.
Milos will also visit numerous cafés in illy’s fast-growing Artisti del Gusto program, a designation given to top independent cafés that have shown a long-term commitment to providing an authentic Italian coffee experience and meeting illy’s high quality standards. His visits will include both staff training and beverage preparation and tasting events for guests.
About illycaffè
Illycaffè is the world’s finest Italian coffee and a leader in quality, innovation, and technology. A third generation Italian coffee company, illy is the number one European imported coffee brand in North America. Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffè produces and markets a unique blend of coffee as the single brand leader in quality coffee and gives coffee connoisseurs an overall authentic Italian coffee experience. Illy is available in more than 50,000 of the finest restaurants and coffee bars and is sold in over 140 countries around the world, serving more than 6 million cups of illy coffee per day. Globally, illy employs more than 700 people.
Illy buys green coffee of the highest quality Arabica directly from the growers through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. The Italian-based company fosters long-term collaborations with the world’s finest coffee growers – in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa – providing know-how and technology and offering above-market prices.
