Our word of the day/week/month/year is Barista

Titus Andronicus · 02-04-2015 01:22PM #1

We've been bombarded with this Barista thing lately, tell you the truth, I had to Google it.
Think it means coffee maker, as if it's such a professional task it demands such a fancy term.

I put it up there with fuel dispensing operator & sanitation engineer.

Obvious attempt to justify the jacked up the price of coffee is obvious, I shall not be utilising this new term.

libelula · 02-04-2015 01:23PM

Um, Baristas have been around for years. And years.

wes · 02-04-2015 01:25PM

Its a pretty cromulent word.

buck65 · 02-04-2015 01:25PM

Coffee in Ireland is deplorable generally, out of every 10 restaurants I've been at I reckon 3 would have decent coffee, 3 more acceptable to weak and 3 more absoulute shyte.

That leaves one which might serve tea by mistake.

whiskeyman · 02-04-2015 01:28PM

Titus Andronicus wrote: »

as if it's such a professional task it demands such a fancy term.

....

I shall not be utilising this new term.

'using'

Mint Aero · 02-04-2015 01:29PM

Quite a lot of bad ones out there. Can't help but feel, seeing as this is Ireland and all. Perhaps we should create a scheme where people can go on the dole for 6 months before being allowed entry to a coffee engineer course, we can create loads of coffee welfare officers. They can then progress into a 2 year Barista diploma course. Qualify then gain access access to a 2 and half year FASbridge internship. All said and done, send them off to London where there's demand for good coffee and not just paper cups from Centra with a sausage roll.

SEPT 23 1989 · 02-04-2015 01:32PM

are you not "passionate" about coffee OP?

Pinch Flat · 02-04-2015 01:34PM

Places with baristas usually serve "gourmet coffee".

Personally I see zero skill in grinding some beans and putting them under a gaggia then pouring it into a cup of boiling water. Each to their own.

Mesrine65 · 02-04-2015 01:36PM

Barista, coffee engineer :rolleyes:

Next we'll be calling prostitutes 'Lingum Technicians' :pac:

02-04-2015 01:38PM

What do you expect of a world that has degrees in Media Studies or Experimental Theatre?

anncoates · 02-04-2015 01:45PM

Good to see us working through the hate list:

Fart-sniffing, hipster beer drinkers [✔]

Fart-sniffing, hipster coffee drinkers [✔]

Fart-sniffing, hipster wine drinkers [✔]

Anybody different to me [✔]

Calibos · 02-04-2015 01:57PM

Fart-sniffing, hipster ascii masters [✔]

5starpool · 02-04-2015 02:05PM

I look forward to reading more about words that are new to you but not to everyone else, OP.

anncoates · 02-04-2015 02:12PM

Calibos wrote: »

Fart-sniffing, hipster ascii masters [✔]

ASCII Masters would be quite a good (for want of a better word) name for a hip young band, actually.

jimgoose · 02-04-2015 02:16PM

anncoates wrote: »

ASCII Masters would be quite a good (for want of a better word) name for a hip young band, actually.

Not in the same territory as "jimgoose and his EBCDIC Converting Dinosaurs". :cool:

Generic Dreadhead · 02-04-2015 02:17PM

I think you'll find it's pronounced "Pulled Pork"

jimgoose · 02-04-2015 02:21PM

libelula wrote: »

Um, Baristas have been around for years. And years.

Aye. The coffee equivalent of a Sommelier, which is French for "creepy-looking chappiemiladdo who recognises everything by it's Nuances of Toast."

02-04-2015 02:31PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Places with baristas usually serve "gourmet coffee".

Personally I see zero skill in grinding some beans and putting them under a gaggia then pouring it into a cup of boiling water. Each to their own.

That's why you aren't a Barista.

The Backwards Man · 02-04-2015 02:34PM

How come we've no soda jerks?

Badly Drunk Boy · 02-04-2015 02:53PM

I'm glad I don't drink coffee. I'd hate to have to deal with baristas, and Iced, Half Caff, Ristretto, Venti, 4-Pump, Sugar Free, Cinnamon, Dolce Soy Skinny Lattes, and Non-Fat Frappuccino With Extra Whipped Cream And Chocolate Sauce, and 5 shot venti, 2/5th decaf, ristretto shot, 1-pump Vanilla, 1-pump Hazelnut, breve,1 sugar in the raw, with whip, caramel drizzle on top, free poured, 4 pump mocha.

Chilled water is refreshing. Milk is good.

jimgoose · 02-04-2015 02:57PM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

I'm glad I don't drink coffee. I'd hate to have to deal with baristas, and Iced, Half Caff, Ristretto, Venti, 4-Pump, Sugar Free, Cinnamon, Dolce Soy Skinny Lattes, and Non-Fat Frappuccino With Extra Whipped Cream And Chocolate Sauce, and 5 shot venti, 2/5th decaf, ristretto shot, 1-pump Vanilla, 1-pump Hazelnut, breve,1 sugar in the raw, with whip, caramel drizzle on top, free poured, 4 pump mocha.

Chilled water is refreshing. Milk is good.

I ventured gingerly into one of those American-style fancy-dan coffee places for the first time lately. After much squinting I figured out that they do, in fact, sell a decent-sized cup of strong, rich coffee with a splash of milk. I think it's called a North American Lesser-Spotted Hardarse, or something, but I couldn't swear to it. :pac:

02-04-2015 03:07PM

There was coffee shop called Cuppa Joe's near where I used to live in the US, opposite a Starbucks. It sold black coffee, decaf coffee and milky coffee, and tea with no lemon in it, at $1.25 a cup, refills free, and old-timey stuff like apple pie a la mode, peach cobbler and home-style cooking.

It was great, until it became ultra-hip to out-hip the vogue hipsters with the pretentichinos across the road by keeping it authentic, and the place became flooded with cardigans, soul patches, and Pendleton scarves.

Pinch Flat · 02-04-2015 03:09PM

circadian wrote: »

That's why you aren't a Barista.

Yeah I missed the boat. I'm 43 now and in a Senior Management position, is it too late? How do I break this news to my missus and kid "Daddy is growing a beard and starting to make coffee from Monday"

02-04-2015 03:12PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Yeah I missed the boat. I'm 43 now and in a Senior Management position, is it too late? How do I break this news to my missus and kid "Daddy is growing a beard and starting to make coffee from Monday"

As long as you enjoy what you're doing then there's no boat missed.

Phil Mitchell · 02-04-2015 03:14PM

When I was young I used to think a batista was a female barrister

Pinch Flat · 02-04-2015 03:17PM

circadian wrote: »

As long as you enjoy what you're doing then there's no boat missed.

Yeah who knows barista could have worked out differently - happy making coffee but completely broke. maybe the cao should take note and put I down as a 3rd level choice.

Anyway I do like my coffee. A cafetière or a nice fresh espresso from a stovetop espresso maker does it for me.

Spunge · 02-04-2015 03:17PM

Candie wrote: »

What do you expect of a world that has degrees in Media Studies or Experimental Theatre?

well those are far more respectable than a barista

Titus Andronicus · 02-04-2015 03:21PM

I take it when one attains the level of "Barista" that one is not on €8.65 an hour anymore, what are we talking €25/€30 sound good ?.

Wacker The Attacker · 02-04-2015 04:21PM

Don't we call Baristas "you" in this country, as in "Get me a coffee you ye little bollix and don't be giving me this barista stuff"

MadsL · 02-04-2015 08:16PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Places with baristas usually serve "gourmet coffee".

Personally I see zero skill in grinding some beans and putting them under a gaggia then pouring it into a cup of boiling water. Each to their own.

Will I list them for you as you seem, er, blind to what is happening in fromt of you.

Choosing the correct grind of coffee
Choosing the correct amount of coffee
Packing the coffee machine head correctly
Selecting the correct temperature and amount of hot water to pass through the coffee, at the correct pressure.
Selecting the right fat content of milk for the drink being made
Steaming the milk to the correct temperature, warm enough to allow the proteins to sweeten the milk but not so hot to take skin off the tongue of anyone drinking it (most common problem)
Presenting the drink with the correct foam to warm milk ratio.
Creating coffee 'art' when pouring the drink - some of which can be quite incredible.

Yeah, no skill in any of these tasks is there? Maybe actual watch someone next time.

MadsL · 02-04-2015 08:18PM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Yeah I missed the boat. I'm 43 now and in a Senior Management position, is it too late? How do I break this news to my missus and kid "Daddy is growing a beard and starting to make coffee from Monday"

Of course no-one has ever asked, "what do Senior Management actually do?"

Our word of the day/week/month/year is Barista

Comments