We discuss to the brand new U.S. Espresso in Good Spirits Champion about tropical cocktails, espresso competitions, and extra.
Images courtesy of Olympia Espresso
Reyna Callejo isn’t any stranger to the U.S. Espresso Championships stage—for the reason that 2018-2019 season she has competed in Barista competitions, incomes a semifinal berth within the U.S. Barista Championship (USBC) thrice.
Reyna, who works because the director of coaching and innovation at Olympia Espresso, determined to change issues up for competitors this 12 months, participating in each the USBC and the U.S. Espresso in Good Spirits Championship, by which rivals make and serve espresso cocktails.
The latter competitors is one she has been effectively conscious of: Sam Schroeder, co-owner of Olympia Espresso, received the U.S. Espresso in Good Spirits Championship in 2023, and Reyna traveled to Taiwan with Sam in November 2023 to function his coach on the World Espresso in Good Spirits Championship.
This 12 months Reyna stepped into the Espresso in Good Spirits competitors herself, and it was a profitable endeavor. Making 5 drinks over three rounds of competitors, she bested the sector to turn into the 2024 U.S. Espresso in Good Spirits Champion, incomes a spot on the World Espresso in Good Spirits Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June.
She earned the victory by serving drinks honoring her house state of Hawaii, creating tropical cocktails that includes espresso from her associates at Maunawili Espresso and telling a sustainability-minded story concerning the island nation.
We talked to Reyna about crafting her drinks, channeling Hawaii, and extra.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
You’ve taken half in Barista competitions since 2018; what do you want about competing?
The factor that drives me to compete is the non-public improvement, typically talking. I believe espresso competitions are a wonderful manner for folks to discover innovation and new expertise, and to get on the stage and discuss concerning the factor they’re actually enthusiastic about. However greater than something, I believe competitors drives excellence in folks.
As a longtime Barista competitor, why did you resolve to additionally compete in Espresso in Good Spirits this 12 months?
Sam received final 12 months, and he competed in Barista for various years additionally. After my 2023 season, he advised me, “Hey, I believe you need to compete at Espresso in Good Spirits, and I believe I needs to be your coach. And I believe you’ll win.” (Laughs.) That was a dialog we had.
Truthfully, it was a tough promote for me. I actually wished to proceed competing in Barista. And juggling each competitions on the identical time was a nightmare. I believe Espresso in Good Spirits is a very completely different mindset than Barista competitors. I really feel like with Barista competitors, I needed to put in much more of myself when it comes to time, effort, and emotion, whereas Espresso in Good Spirits, for no matter cause, got here extra simply.
Are you able to inform me about placing collectively your Espresso in Good Spirits routine, which was impressed by the place you grew up in Hawaii?
This routine for me has been within the works since I began working in espresso.
Once I first began working in espresso, I had a novel alternative to volunteer on the Hawaii Agriculture Analysis Heart’s espresso farm. My good friend Juli (Burden), who’s the producer of my espresso, had began working for Hawaii Agriculture Analysis Heart, largely helping a number of the researchers doing selection trials on the farm. In order a really recent child barista, I acquired to spend time on a espresso farm; it was actually enjoyable.
So constructing the routine for Espresso in Good Spirits in 2024, desirous about the coffees that I had obtained from Juli this 12 months, we wished to maneuver within the path of that includes the tropical traits of this espresso—and what higher solution to do it than with tropical-based drinks?
While you consider Hawaii, I believe typically the general public thinks of the super-touristy areas, the gorgeous panorama, and most significantly, consuming an attractive cocktail on the seaside. Sure, that’s what Hawaii is to lots of people. That’s not what Hawaii is to me, although. Hawaii is my house, and Hawaii has a wealthy historical past that I believe is commonly brushed apart.
So once I was mulling over concepts with Juli, we began speaking about sugarcane. Hawaii Agriculture Analysis Heart was key in rebuilding and restoring heirloom sugarcane manufacturing on the island—the identical group that helps to do espresso analysis on the island as of late was liable for bringing again I believe 34 kinds of heirloom sugarcane.
So after we had talked about what I might do with sugarcane, she was like, hey, do you wish to meet my associates? They make rum from this. And all of it sort of fell collectively. It’s so loopy to have the ability to serve substances sourced from Maunawili, sourced from Hawaii Agriculture Analysis Heart, grown actually 20 minutes from my childhood home, ya know? It’s wild.
I perceive you had been coached this 12 months by Sam Schroeder and your accomplice, Alan Jones. Are you able to speak about that collaboration?
My coaches are truthfully such unimaginable laborious employees. Sam is a wealth of information who is ready to present actually strong suggestions, no matter whether or not it’s optimistic or damaging. Alan, my accomplice, is the one who takes care of the main points—like managing the schedule and ensuring all our gadgets are packed.
To a point although, I don’t have simply these two coaches; the entire workforce at Olympia Espresso helps me, and helped me with my taste calls. It’s an enormous workforce effort. Sam and Alan are my coaches on paper, however all people at Olympia Espresso who has the time will come by and assist me prep for my competitions. I like all of them a lot.
Lastly, now you get to go to Worlds in June. What are you engaged on for that competitors?
On the World stage, it’s a must to be extra assured in each single taste name that you just make. That’s one of many issues we’re going to work closely on once we get to Copenhagen—we’re going to spend so much of time making and tasting the cocktails there with the water, with the ice, to ensure that once we give a taste name, it’s completely that, and hopefully interesting to the Worlds palate.
Subscribe and Extra!
Out now: It’s the April + Might 2024 situation of Barista Journal! Learn it without cost with our digital version. And for greater than three years’ value of points, go to our digital version archives right here.
You may order a tough copy of the journal by way of our on-line retailer right here, or begin a subscription for one 12 months or two.
