The Art of Making Coffee |December 1, 2025

The At Home Holiday Barista

Entertaining during the Holidays is fun for some and hard for others. We all hope for that Christmas miracle (no family arguments?) of joy and peace. In our house, we enjoy hosting, but try to make it so that we can enjoy the time with friends and family rather than spending all of our time in the kitchen preparing food.

A few years ago, I decided to pursue a barista license, starting with an online course and then several classes in brewing science, cupping skills, and palette development through Counter Culture Coffee in Los Angeles.

I’d like to share a few “secrets” from those days that I still apply every day to my coffee adventures here on the farm. They really come back to me this time of year, as I have more opportunity to host people and share with them my love of coffee. Here’s how you can raise your skills as an at home Holiday Barista.

Secret 1: It’s All About the Recipe

As simple and obvious as it seems to me now, on day one of brewing science, these words seemed a revelation. Cafes can serve the same, consistent cup day after day because they use recipes. The ratio between grounds and water, the grind size, the temperature of the water, the amount of time water is in contact with the coffee, etc. Spend some time dialing in your coffee brewing recipe and stick to it. Your goal is to have a delicious repeatable recipe to always make an excellent cup of coffee.

Mastering the Core Menu
The core menu, as it was taught to me, is the 6 most popular drinks ordered at the café. They include the latte, the cappuccino, the mocha, the americano, the cortado, and the flat white. Add Macchiato, cold brew, and a perfect shot of espresso, and you are an instant crowd pleaser. When I play at home, Holiday Barista, I give my guests a choice of how they want their coffee, and it’s a really nice personal touch.

A Quick Review of the Classic Barista Menu:

Latte: Espresso and steamed milk, often served hot or cold, and considered one of the milkiest coffee options.

Cappuccino: A coffee drink with a strong espresso base, steamed milk, and a thick layer of foam on top.

Americano: Made by adding hot water to espresso, which results in a less concentrated, but still rich, flavor similar to drip coffee.

Cortado: A 1:1 ratio of espresso and warm milk.

Macchiato: An espresso “marked” or “stained” with a small amount of milk foam.

Mocha: A combination of espresso, steamed milk, and chocolate, syrup or powder.

Flat White: A drink with steamed milk and espresso, featuring a thin, smooth layer of micro foam, popularized in Australia and New Zealand.

Cold Brew: A popular cold coffee drink made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period.

Espresso: A small, concentrated shot of coffee made by forcing hot water through finely-ground beans.

Secret 2: Prep Work Saves the Day

This applies across the board to getting ready for the Holidays, but having everything ready (Clean Cups, coffee, gear, trays, add-ons) all helps to streamline the process of getting your coffee drinks out promptly.

I also like to clean as I go, and make sure the cleaning and returning of the gear to its place is part of the same motion as making the drink. It saves so much time.

Secret 3: Be Creative

Although I have met many coffee purists who only drink light roast, roasted within the last four days, from a single tree variety grown at high elevation, hand-harvested, and served in a pre-warmed ceramic cup (and there’s nothing wrong with that), baristas have a slightly different mantra. Make the customer happy, and give them an experience in the cup that recognizes their unique individuality.
As such, I have come to really enjoy creating unique coffee drinks. When my kids told me they only drink cold brew (in the middle of winter, I said??!) I was very judgmental. Now I enjoy creating drinks that they love, even if I wouldn’t drink them myself. Now, as an at-home Holiday Barista, creating happiness is my only goal.

Secret 4: Pairing Food and Coffee Well

I will choose a roast profile based on the food it is being served with. Am I pursuing balance, contrast or complementary flavors? Serving a French roast with a fruit platter is like serving red wine with white fish. You can do it, but it is frowned upon by the pros.
If you’d like to know more about pairing, we discussed it in depth in a previous blog, and a quick refresher will help you select the best coffees for your purposes.

Secret 5: Mindful Interaction

I am including this because my instructor told us that their favorite café experience was a small local café where everyone knew everyone, and the barista was like a bartender, hearing all the conversations of the local town.

One of the ways I like to secretly have better coffee experiences is by having some really mindful questions prepared so that the conversation can flow in many directions without the “what did you learn in school?” Approach.

Examples:
When did you feel most alive this year?
How much does your job connect with your self-worth?
If you could start again at 19, would you walk a different path?
What was the hardest lesson you had to endure this year?
If you were alive during the Walking Dead world, how long do you think you’d survive?

I hope these help you on your journey as an at home Holiday Barista! Wishing you all a wonderful end of the year and hope to see you all next year, whether on the farm or online! Aloha!