"I remember doing my first tasting with my store manager. We tasted a black cup of coffee and she goes, 'Now I want you to describe this coffee.' It was the first time I'd ever been asked this. I tasted it and said it tasted like dirt. She looked at me and said, 'earthy, great.'"
"But coffee had its own lexicon, its own rhythm. You had to be quick, but you also had to know when to slow down and chat with people."
"I learned a lot from him - what it means to compete, how to brew coffee, what judges look for and what it means to be a barista. Pete was always the first to throw an apron on and head to the back to do dishes. He really set an example."
"A trip to Guatemala became a turning point in my career. A meeting with a broker led to a meeting with producers in Guatemala, where I toured a wet mill, a dry mill, and nurseries."
Kosta Kallivrousis left his father's electrician business for a job at Starbucks during the 2008 financial crisis. His early experiences in coffee included a memorable tasting session that sparked his interest. Raised in a Greek American family with a hospitality background, he found coffee a natural fit. Kallivrousis developed his skills at The Roasterie and later at Parisi Coffee, where he learned from champion barista Pete Licata. His career took a significant turn after a trip to Guatemala, where he engaged with coffee producers and deepened his understanding of the craft.
Read at Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine
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