Barista & Mocktail Craft
Dialing-in specialty espresso as a full-time barista, supporting junior baristas when needed, and engineering signature cold brew mocktail menus.
Specialty Coffee Calibration & Barista Work
This portfolio showcases my professional work in F&B operations, specializing in specialty coffee dialing-in, recipe engineering, daily barista operations, and occasional junior barista support.
Operating in high-volume specialty coffee bars requires an obsession with consistency. This is a professional work assignment representing my daily duties at Common Grounds Group. While my shift operations and training support are conducted within professional team environments, my signature menu developments and latte art pours are individual craft achievements.
My daily workflow at Common Grounds involves dialing-in espresso parameters (grind micron adjustments, dose profiling, yield analysis) and steaming microfoam at varying temperatures to highlight individual bean origins.
I am certified and qualified as a Barista Trainer, which allows me to help junior baristas when needed. My current role, however, is full-time barista. The junior support I provide can cover:
- Sensory evaluation of espresso (detecting channelings, under-extraction acidity, over-extraction dryness).
- Standard operating procedures (SOP) for workflow speed, counter sanitation, and guest hospitality.
- Milk steaming mechanics to pour consistent pattern geometry (Rosettas, Tulips, and Swans).
My Operational Impact
My main operational impact is maintaining consistent espresso calibration, service flow, and drink quality during daily barista shifts. When junior baristas need support, my trainer certification helps me explain SOPs, workflow habits, and hospitality standards clearly without misrepresenting training as my primary role.
Mocktail Mixology & Menu Engineering
Beyond standard coffee recipes, I conduct beverage R&D to develop creative seasonal mocktails that fuse coffee elements with fresh fruits, botanicals, and carbonated textures.
Signature Recipe: Melon Highball
I engineered this recipe to balance summer melon sweetness with clean coffee notes. It features a layered texture and crisp carbonation:
- Espresso Base: Sweet, low-acidity single origin espresso cold drop.
- Melon Syrup: House-brewed honeydew and cantaloupe reduction.
- Body: Carbonated premium soda water and a touch of tonic.
- Garnish: Fresh sliced cucumber wheel and bruised mint leaves.
I designed this recipe flyer for promotional in-store posters, merging product styling with menu clarity. This seasonal release boosted our store's cold beverage sales by 15%.
Latte Art Pattern Showcase
A demonstration of my pour consistency under speed constraints. These show precise symmetry, thick crema borders, and smooth milk aeration:
Swan Pattern: Air aerated for 2 seconds, slow center drag
Rosetta Pattern: Precise side-to-side wiggle, clean
draw-through
What I Learned
I learned how to maintain extreme operational consistency under high-volume pressures, how to explain complex sensory concepts to students, and how to combine mixology flavor balancing with visual styling for beverage R&D.