Caffeine City: Madcap CEO's first place prize showcases coffee's rising star in Grand Rapids

Madcap Coffee’s CEO, Trevor Corlett, took first place in the Eastern Conference Barista Competition two weeks ago. 
 
With the highest score in the country, Corlett is now qualified to continue on to the United States Barista Championship (USBC) semi-finals on April 14-17 in Atlanta, Ga.
 
Big deal, right? Well, yes, it is.
 
The specialty coffee industry is big business, and, arguably, it is as important to building the Grand Rapids brand as is the craft beer scene. The city now features dozens of independent specialty coffee shops where business and community intersect.
 
Corlett says these events are where the top 1 percent of coffee producers and processors in the country have a stage to showcase their talents and dedication to being the best of the best.
 
"This competition is an arena within the specialty coffee market where you find yourself at an event where everyone is very passionate about the product,” he explains.
 
Success in the competition says as much about the company where a barista works as it does the specific skills of the barista.  This was Corlett's ninth time in the this competition but his first time landing the top honor.
 
"These competitions are important for the company,” he says. “It challenges you to work on skills. We believe working in coffee can be a lifelong career. It's great exposure and makes you better at your day-to-day job."
 
Ryan Wojton, Madcap’s café manager, finished ninth place in the Eastern Conference and qualified to compete in the United States Brewer’s Cup Championship, which highlights the art of manual coffee brewing. Corlett says another team member also participated but did not qualify for the next stage.
 
Each of Corlett's drinks highlighted Amparo Botina’s coffee from the Narino Region in Southwest Colombia. Her coffee was featured in Madcap’s Colombia Tasting Series, and this is Madcap’s first year buying coffee from Amparo.
 
Corlett's Signature Drink: “Almost Perfect”

• Glass smoked with cinnamon and cherry bitters
• 1ml of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 shot of espresso made with Amparo Botina’s coffee
• 1ml of small batch grenadine
• Stirred well, garnished with a freeze-dried strawberry, and served in a  2.5oz coupe glass

For more information about the competition, you can visit the site here.  For more information about Madcap, you can visit their site here.
 
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor