2018 USCC Art Throwdown Official Rules and Regulations

Written and approved by the SCA Competitions Committee VERSION 2018.04.13

1.0 ORGANIZATION

The United States Championship (USCC) Latte Art Throwdown is a program of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA).

2.0 RIGHTS

All intellectual property related to the USCC Latte Art Throwdown, including these Official Rules and Regulations and the format of the competition, are the property of the Specialty Coffee Association. No part of this document may be used or reproduced without the expressed permission of the Specialty Coffee Association.

3.0 2018 USCC LATTE ART THROWDOWN

3.1 PARTICIPATION

3.1.1 Qualification

The USCC Latte Art Throwdown is open to the first 32 competitors who register. A waiting list will be kept for registrants who are not initially assigned a competition registration confirmation; if confirmed competitors cancel their registration, the wait list will be used.

3.1.2 Age Requirement

Competitors must be at least 18 years of age at the time of competing in the USCC Latte Art Throwdown.

3.1.3 Nationality

Competitors must hold a valid US passport or have 24 months of documented residency, employment, or scholastic enrolment in the United States.

3.1.4 Competitor Registration and Fees

The registration form for the USCC Latte Art Throwdown can be found online at uscoffeechampionships.org or requested ​ from the National Competitions Manager. Competitors must submit a completed Competitor Registration Form and registration fee to the SCA via the Internet. Space is limited, and competitors will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Once an entry form has been received, a confirmation letter will be sent to the competitor via email.

3.1.5 Expenses

All competitors in the USCC Latte Art Throwdown must pay their own expenses related to the competitions including, but not limited to travel, accommodations, supplies, and other items required or needed for the competitions. The USCC or SCA are not responsible or liable for any of the competitors’ expenses. If a competitor cannot afford the costs of

competing, it is his/her responsibility to see that his/her company or other outside parties cover these expenses.

3.1.6 Number of Competitors per Company

The USCC Latte Art Throwdown will not have an official limitation regarding number of competitors per company.

3.1.7 Additional Information

Information to assist with example ratios, equipment, and other information needed to run the championship is available on request. Please reach out to [email protected] for more information. ​ ​ ​

3.2 COMPETITOR QUESTIONS

All competitors are personally responsible for reading and understanding the Rules & Regulations of the USCC Latte Art Throwdown. All documents are available at uscoffeechampionships.org . ​ ​

Competitors are encouraged to ask questions prior to arriving at the USCC Latte Art Throwdown. If any competitor is unclear as to the intent of any of the rules or regulations, it is their responsibility to clarify that position with the Competitions Committee prior to the Competition by contacting [email protected] ​

3.3 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Upon submitting a Competitor Registration Form, competitors acknowledge that they understand the following terms & conditions: (Please note that these terms and conditions include individual responsibilities and requirements of representation imposed on the winner of the USCC Latte Art Throwdown.)

A. Registrants and winners of the USCC Latte Art Throwdown are representatives of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and the United States Coffee Championships (USCC). B. Upon entry in the USCC Latte Art Throwdown and in exchange for the opportunity to win, each competitor undertakes that they will: a. Permit the SCA to use the competitor’s name and image in any format without charge for the purpose of promotion of the SCA, USCC, or the USCC Latte Art Throwdown. b. Without limiting the generality of clause (i), the formats referred to may include: photographic, video, print, Internet, or any electronic media. c. When fulfilling these terms and conditions, actively work to adhere to the code of conduct, listed here, ​ ​ and uphold the good reputation of the SCA and USCC. C. Upon entry in the USCC Latte Art Throwdown and in exchange for the opportunity to qualify and/or win, each competitor undertakes that, should they qualify or win, they will: a. Include the name “Specialty Coffee Association” or “SCA” immediately before the name “USCC Latte Art Throwdown” in each instance where the names of the competitions are mentioned. b. Without limiting the generality of clause (iii), the instances referred to include verbal, in print, or via any electronic medium. c. Promote the Specialty Coffee Association at every opportunity without charge to the SCA. d. Promote the relevant Competition as the pathway to the United States Championship at every opportunity without charge to the SCA.

3.4 ENFORCEMENT OF RULES & REGULATIONS

The USCC will employ these Rules & Regulations throughout the competitions. If a competitor violates one or more of these Rules & Regulations, they may be disqualified from the competition, except when the Rules designate a specific enforcement or consequence.

4.0 COMPETITION PROCEDURE

Single elimination bracket-style “free-pour” latte art throwdown. (No etching or surface decoration is allowed and will result in disqualification.)

Competitors will steam milk only. Double shots will be pulled for each competitor by a volunteer.

4.1 START TIME & LOCATION

Competitors must be at The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) by 6pm on Thursday April 19th, 2018. The USCC Latte Art Throwdown will begin at 6:30pm.

The Museum of Pop Culture 325 5th Ave N Seattle, WA 98109

4.2 CUP

The competition cup will have a volume of 8.8oz. This cup must be used or the competitor will be disqualified.

4.3 MILK

Drinks must be made using the sponsor provided milk only. Milk will be a variety of non-dairy milks provided by Pacific Foods’ “Barista Series” alternative milks (see schedule for each round below) and competitors will not be permitted to use their own milk. Failure to use the provided milk will result in disqualification.

4.3.1 Milks Used Per Round: (Rules are based on full 32 competitor bracket, Rounds may change depending on total number of competitors) o Round 1 – Coconut o Round 2 – Almond o Quarter-Finals – Oat o Semi-Finals – Rice o Finals – Barista’s Choice of the previous 4 milks

4.4 STEAMING PITCHER

Competitors will be provided with 12oz and 20oz straight-walled steaming pitchers or they may bring their own steaming pitcher of any size or style.

5.0 JUDGING CRITERIA

5.1 VISUAL QUALITY OF FOAM

Judges will visually assess the quality of the foam for a bubble-free, smooth, shiny/glossy consistency.

5.2 CONTRAST

Preference will be awarded to patterns demonstrating sharp contrast between the surface of the espresso and milk. Unintentional mixing/blurring of the contrast will reduce this score.

5.3 BALANCE

Judges will review if the size of the pattern is suitable to the cup it is presented in. Judges will review if the pattern is aesthetically positioned in the cup. If the pattern involves several elements, are these elements positioned and balanced aesthetically with each other.

5.4 CREATIVITY

Creativity may be demonstrated in many ways. Preference will be given for presenting an original design that pushes the boundaries in latte art skills.

5.5 MASTERY/DIFFICULTY

Preference will be given to difficult patterns that are successfully achieved according to the above listed criteria. A ​ ​ well-executed simple pour will receive preference over a difficult pour that is poorly executed. The competitor who best displays mastery of their pour will advance.

5.6 OVERALL APPEAL

Judges will review the look of the drink in its totality based on its personal impact on them, and considering how a customer, rather than a coffee professional, may score the presented pattern.