Silver Lake Barista Scores Silver
Ryan Willbur wins second place in the Western Regional Barista Competition
Ryan Willbur
Ryan Willbur works his magic.
He brews it. He steams it. He just plain loves coffee.
Ran Willbur’s love of the bean is so intense, he said it's one of the main reasons why he did so well at the 2010 Western Regional Barista Competition.
The Silver Lake Intelligentsia Coffee barista placed second, one step up from last year's competition. He will compete at nationals in April.
As part of the competition, Willbur had to come up with 12 drinks: four espresso, four coffee and four signature drinks.
"It's hard to compliment the coffee without taking away from any of its flavor," said Willbur while talking about his signature drink to Mekahlo Medina on NBCLA's NewsRaw.
Although he wowed the judges with his signature drinks, it wasn't enough to win the competition.
Peter Licata from Honolulu Coffee Company took first place.
But Ryan and his fellow co-worker, David Pedde, will still advance to the championships in Anaheim.
