BPS® Blog » Posts by Month: January 2011

The North West Regional Barista Competition has come to a close with Samuel Purvis of Coava Coffee taking top honors, besting Ryan Wilbur of Stumptown Coffee Roasters by only .5 of a point!  Third place went to Laila Ghambari also of Stumptown .  Samuel took an interesting route with his presentation; he focused less on specific tasting... Read More ⇒

Well, we’ve made it to another regional barista competition final!  Congratulations and good luck to finalists:  Laila Ghambari, Robbie Britt, Ryan Wilbur, Sarah Dooley, Samuel Purvis, and Tyler Stevens.  I’m feeling especially excited today as well, because I was asked to judge the final (woot! woot!).  I’m... Read More ⇒

I’m judging the second half of today’s competition, so I’m taking some time to sit in the audience and experience the competition from the audience perspective.  As usual, day two is better attended than day one.  There are quite a few folks here!  Emcee Josh Boyt and former competitor Nick Cho are spending some... Read More ⇒

The first day of regional competitions is always fun.  New competitors and judges can barely contain their excitement and nervousness.  Being a ‘seasoned’ judge, it’s always good to remember those intense feelings and exactly how it felt being the newbie on the scene.  I still get a little adrenaline rush and a... Read More ⇒

It’s been a long, coffee filled day.  The NWRBC’s judge certification workshop began at 9am this morning, and there’s no time to ease yourself into the day.  After initial introductions, you’re given a long written exam covering the USBC rules and regulations.  Today’s test consisted of multiple choice,... Read More ⇒

I will be heading to the Seattle tomorrow to attend and judge (assuming that I pass the judge certification test on Thurs) the North West Regional Barista Competition (NWRBC).  The competition is the first of the 2011 season, and I for one, am psyched to get this thing started!  Dillano’s is hosting this year’s NWRBC at the... Read More ⇒

We’ve carried a handful of Monin syrups in the 1 liter size in the past, but our offering just got bigger.  The 1 liter size is packaged in a plastic bottle, making it a great option for bars and restaurants.  Also, some of the flavors are only available in this size (French vanilla, cucumber, honey sweetener, and red passion... Read More ⇒

We're not really sure who comes up with these holidays, but we won’t complain about another day celebrating coffee.  So, what coffee are you sipping while dishing the latest around the proverbial water cooler in honor of National Coffee Break Day?  Our hopper is filled with our usual BPS Savvy Blend (fair-trade... Read More ⇒

We saw this NPR link on a facebook friend’s wall, and it immediately made us think of ways it could be used in a café setting.  Credit card processing can be a complicated, and sometimes expensive, undertaking.  This innovative little device is tiny and can go wherever your smart phone goes.  Got a small café,... Read More ⇒

We’re living up to the new in New Year here at BPS.  To begin with, we are very excited about our three new brands: Eco-Products, Sweetbird, and Two Leaves and a Bud.  We strive to offer high quality and innovative brands, and we think we’ve succeeded with these three.   The new doesn’t stop there.  Here in... Read More ⇒

As I sit here trying to glean inspiration from a few of the books in the BPS library (‘The Perfect Cup’ by Timothy James Castle, ‘The Professional Barista’s Handbook’ by Scott Rao, and ‘Uncommon Grounds’ by Mark Pendergrast), I begin to ponder ‘just what is the perfect cup of coffee?’.  I... Read More ⇒

2010 was quite a year.  Daily news stories were filled with stories of doom and gloom about the economy and worldwide unrest.  Here at BPS, we tried to keep our spirits up and focus on the best part of our business:  our customers!  We hope that you all enjoyed the holiday season, and are excited to jump into 2011!   ... Read More ⇒