Congratulations to the 2023 NOLA Coffee Festival Latte Art Winners!

We held an open invitation with head-to-head competition for a classic test of barista art skills. Each round required a different shape, only the winners advanced to each successive round. The contestants were allowed up to five minute per round. Their required shapes were: Heart, Tulip, Rosetta and the Freestyle. We regard these winners as the BEST of the Gulf South Region.

Moccamaster served as our 2023 Prize sponsor with donations of home brewing units and grinders as prizes for our barista competitions. Needless to say, the winning baristas were thrilled to receive these excellent home use prizes. Please visit Moccamaster at www.moccamaster.com.

In-Kind Sponsors

We are grateful for the kind support of several industry leaders that made our competition events possible:

Q & A with Sean Price

Where did you learn to do Latte Art?

I learned latte art from one of the co owners of Seed, Brett Huey, and we try to train every barista behind our bar how to execute latte art to give our coffee a higher quality appearance.

How does competition help build barista skills?

It allows you to pour under pressure which is actually incredibly difficult but also motivate you to improve your skills in order to be more competitive.

Do you get to use latte art at work? Or at home? Or only during competitions?

I use latte art any chance I can get! Practice makes perfect. (but never is haha)

Please share a few comments / observations about the NCF event.

Absolutely blown away by NCF. All we need is more players in the game. Absolutely incredible first year.

Please share a few comments / observations about the Moccamaster prizes.

I have never owned Moccamaster products but I am blown away by the quality of this equipment. Honestly some of the best prizes I have ever received at a latte art competition. Thank you so much!

Q & A with Miguel Gomez

Where did you learn to do Latte Art?

I learned latte art at Tout Suite Cafe in Houston, Texas.

How does competition help build barista skills?

It helps sharpen your barista skills because you learn to be calm under pressure and trust in your instincts, training, and techniques that you have built over time while behind regular service at a coffee bar.

What are your career plans in coffee?

My goal is to become an analyst for a green coffee wholesaler, I plan on going to Law School after my MBA to specialize in International Law and use those learned skills to become a diplomat for the United Nations to help coffee farmers navigate the complex challenges of international trade to get top dollar the crop and improve processes in the coffee supply chain.

Gomez is currently creating great coffee at Minute Maid Park during Astro games for Maven Coffee & Cocktails. “We’re a craft-driven cocktail & speciality coffee concept — and will soon open three new locations: on Silver Street in Sawyer Heights, at the new Thompson Hotel on Allen Parkway and at the Toyota Center for the upcoming Houston Rockets season.”