Come celebrate Starbucks baristas' coffee craft and passion

A Tall Nonfat Vanilla Latte. A Grande Dry Cappuccino. A Venti Starbucks® Doubleshot on Ice with a splash of coconut milk. Each day, our baristas handcraft hundreds of drinks—making sure each one is perfect for you.

"We really wanted to celebrate that craft, that art that they do every single day," Global Coffee and Tea education manager Chad Moore said.

Enter the Starbucks U.S. Barista Championship.

The competition is split up into two rounds: District and Area. Things officially got underway in January 2016. Thousands applied, but only one barista could represent their store at the District level. During this first round, judges evaluated them on barista craft—their ability to perfectly prepare and present beverages like a Flat White and a Doppio Espresso.

More than 600 baristas moved on to the Area level, the final round of the competition. Baristas showed off their latte art skills, along with their ability to craft drinks like a Cappuccino and a Latte Macchiato. Judges also evaluated their customer service and coffee knowledge.

After months of competition, we’re proud to recognize 82 Barista Champions. Congratulations!

This is the second year we’ve held the competition for our U.S. baristas. We also have Barista Championship competitions in Europe and across the China Asia Pacific region .