I don’t consider myself an artist. I feel like there are certain things I’m good at doing and I’ve been told I have a number of talents, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m anywhere close to the level of skills of the artists that I respect. Art is subjective and I'm well aware it’s easy to look at something like a picture of a latte or cappuccino on Instagram and roll your eyes.
It's true that in the advent of social media, people posting their latte art has become a bit of a nuisance. Sometimes you wonder what the point is. Why is it interesting or worthy of posting? Even I have found myself a bit annoyed at people taking numerous photos of the drinks I or a coworker of mine have made them. More recently however, I’m starting to mellow out a bit and really appreciate how the one form of “art” that I practice almost daily is very much worthy of photographing… while it lasts.
I remember when I first felt the itch to pour latte art. In the winter of 2013 I began working for Phoenix Coffee in downtown Cleveland. Up until that point, I had been working in coffee for more or less five full years so the basics of pulling shots of espresso and steaming milk—as rudimentary as they were then—weren’t completely lost on me. The manager at the time, Nate, a fiercely kind and entertaining soul, showed me a little bit of the basics of steaming specifically for latte art. He told me that I was scheduled to start training for it in the coming weeks. Soon after that conversation, I was offered a job to work as an English teacher in Japan which put an end to any pending training schedule. It wasn't until three years later that I had the opportunity to really begin exploring the world of latte art firsthand.
The genesis of my latte art journey, 2016
Latte art can be a devilishly intricate process. For one thing, it’s very much based on the machinery you’re working with. The steam used to heat and froth the milk is a product of pressurization. Too low pressure? Good luck making the tiny bubbles of “microfoam” needed to produce detailed art. Too high? You’ll face a struggle to “spin” the milk in a uniform and controlled way, usually resulting in too much stiff foam in your pitcher to be able to properly pour. Therefore, a well-calibrated espresso machine or dedicate steam module is usually a necessity to produce consistent and beautiful foam for latte art.
On top of the machinery, the user (you) also needs to measure the amount of frothed volume added to the milk by eyesight while at the same time adjusting the position of the pitcher to ensure a proper amount of agitation (that ”spin” I was talking about earlier) to the milk. Usually you’ll see baristas holding their pitcher at an angle to get that spin, or perhaps orienting it completely vertical while relying on the angle and depth of the steam wand to facilitate the proper agitation. Oh, and you also have to manage the temperature of the milk on top of the frothing process. Thermometers aren’t frowned upon, but most professionals choose to do so by feel alone.
Work, in progress
Steaming milk for latte art is as much an art as it is a science. Learning to consistently deliver the same high quality milk for lattes, cappuccinos, flat whites, cortados, gibraltars, etc., requires many, many hours of dedicated practice. Even having been consistently working to improve my skills over the past three-and-a-half years with Ogawa Coffee, I still feel like there's a mountain of improvement to reach the heights of the coffee professionals I look up to. I've even worked next to three Japanese champion latte artists and I still marvel at their abilities and dedication to the craft. What seems so effortless to them takes me a great amount of focus (less so over time, though so it is with this kind of thing) and even after a long time of not pouring, they can be back to form within several tries. I know, I've seen it in practice first hand.
A master at work
So latte art is indeed an art, perhaps we can agree on that much. It's something that can be simple and elegant, or intricate and bold. It can be traditional. It can be abstract. I can be colorful. It can be many things. But one thing it lacks is permanence.
Latte art is made possible thanks to bubbles. It's funny to think about it that way, but that's what it ultimately boils down to. Tiny, nearly imperceivable bubbles that float atop your milk and espresso, white milk bubbles mixed with tan coffee bubbles. Bubbles... well, they burst. Over time the sheen cast by the light reflecting off of your cappuccino will begin to fade, becoming matte and dull. The detailed lines of the art begin to blur rapidly and everything starts to become pillowy and uneven. Entropy comes for us all, but it will come for your latte art very, very quickly.
That's one reason why I used to be more annoyed that customers would take too much time before tasting their drinks. These milk based drinks, especially with latte art, aren't just for show. The steaming of the milk creates a very enjoyable creamy texture. Well executed steaming provides you a first sip that doesn't feel like just foam or just milk. It's a smooth and luxurious combination of the two that should feel complete on the palate. We judge our employees on this quality before allowing them to work full time on the bar. Three drinks, in succession, should all have a rich, full, and creamy texture upon drinking soon after completion. Customers are missing out when they let the drink sit. It's almost as if the art on top of your drink is dying and taking its true deliciousness right along with it.
A tragedy to behold I know... but what good can we find in all of it? Is there something noble in preserving the art crafted for you? Maybe it will live in your phone or in the cloud forever. Maybe you'll post it on your social network of choice, proving to everyone that yes, you were here and yes, you had a cup of coffee worthy of sharing. Maybe it tastes just as good to you after several minutes. It doesn't need to be perfect. You aren't judging whether or not I should remain on bar. You're admiring something that I crafted for you, made-to-order, as you wish.
More recent progress
And so it is, I begin to mellow out. I understand better now. Your drink is yours to enjoy. It won't last forever. It's a moment in time. You can capture it and let it sit as you set up the perfect shot or you can just be in the moment and enjoy it while it's fresh. But the moment will end and you'll go off to your home, or on a train or a plane to somewhere that has another delicious coffee waiting, another moment for you to savor. Latte art can last only so long. You can make it last a bit longer via the World Wide Web but in reality that work of art has a short life span, even shorter if you're a really fast drinker like me.
Latte art is an exercise in transience. Years of execution and fine-tuning all leading up to a product that will ultimately fade away in minutes. The best cappuccino or latte you pour–your most perfect, flawless work–will disappear just like every one that comes before and after. Life is like that too... most things don't last forever, even if it's something near perfection. So you have to enjoy the beauty you find where you can. Just because it won't last doesn't mean it isn't worth appreciating. If anything, it might deserve more appreciation than we tend to give on average. So go ahead, take your damn picture of your damn cortado. Just know that your gesture would mean a whole lot more with a little bit of reflection.
And don't forget: enjoy every sip while it lasts!
Nearly there...