Simeon Bricker milks his latte-art moment beautifully

You don’t want to drink a Simeon Bricker latte. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. The man knows his coffee. It’s just that you don’t feel quite right disturbing the foam on top – frothed milk that, when it comes from Bricker’s pitcher, is art.

It’s not the kind of art that appreciates, but Bricker’s handiwork has still earned him serious notice. On April 24, he won the inaugural U.S. Latte Art Championship in Seattle. Next week, he’s off to Melbourne, Australia, to compete onstage at the World Latte Art Championship. For three days, starting May 15, he’ll pour art that includes a from-the-ashes phoenix – a design that seems to be becoming his competitive signature.


Bricker, who works for the Roasterie as a quality controller and barista trainer, studied art at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He still likes to work in less ephemeral media, dabbling in photography and videography, but hot milk is his big medium right now, and that means a short exhibition time. After about two minutes, the espresso and milk have reacted together to blight the five-tiered tulips and other patterns he has etched over the liquid with a thin metal wand.

At first, latte art was a way to stave off sameness at his first barista gig. He got good fast, though, and a couple of years ago found himself competing in latte throwdowns around town, casual gatherings at which artistic baristas would square off cup-to-cup after hours.

The contests got bigger, and so has Bricker’s training regimen. Once he’s finished for the day at the Roasterie’s plant, he stays in the closed café to practice his pours until he has gone through a gallon or two of milk. That’s 36-48 lattes. “There’s no real way to practice except for just pouring the lattes,” he says.

At competitions, artists run the whole cup, starting by pulling the shot of espresso that forms the base of the latte. It’s how the espresso and milk work together that determines just how much hold the foam has for the art.

“A low-quality milk will have less protein in it, so the foam could be more runny,” Bricker says. “A good, high-quality milk is really important.” So he has become an expert on dairy (ask him anything about local brands), and he says he expects to use “a really good milk” in Australia.

But even after all of the hours spent training and all the support he says KC’s barista community has offered him, Bricker knows it’s a different game onstage. A shaky hand, a pitcher tipped a degree too far, and it’s over. As he worked out a few designs for The Pitch‘s photographer, Bricker maintained a competitor’s intense focus. When he pours, the world stops.

Bricker says he doesn’t consider himself the best latte artist domestically. But it’s not up to him anymore. “If you’re a world latte-artist champion, no one can take that from you,” he says. “It’s exciting to know I’m competing in that realm, and humbling knowing it’s going to be a very difficult competition. I’m just looking forward to going and doing the best I can.”