In the past, when I see pretty crafts on top of my coffee, I often have a giddy heart, admiring the craft, and almost not drinking it because I did not want to destroy the art. At first I thought it was a common skill all baristas have.
Until the Coffee Festival 2026 happened.
The Latte Art Throwdown by the La Trinidad Coffee Shop Stakeholders Association had 5 rounds for each category, with 26 participants for the Professional category; while the Beginner category had 22. It was judged on symmetry, contrast, and difficulty, and watching it all progress, I will never be able to do anything like that.
Watching from the sidelines, I could not see or focus on what each participant has created. But, while the judges—Robert Caesar Kiswa, Ariel Garcia, and Jay Ar Tomalban— discussed and pointed on a winner, the crowd’s volume goes up and down depending on who they’re rooting for. After a heat (‘heat’ as in ‘group’ or ‘batch’ for someone who isn’t accustomed to the coffee industry like me) was judged, the volunteers lead the latte down the stage, placed it on a table, and let the audience look at it. Some were amazed, others nodded (maybe agreeing to the judges), and some just looked at it like it was an artwork on the wall.
The thrill of watching the competition was exhilarating. Looking at the contestants up close, you can see their passion and dedication to the coffee at hand. And my curiosity grows as the contest moves forward.
The Final Rounds for both categories were done differently. The contestants were asked to pour below the stage, for everyone to watch it closely, while the judges were on the stage to give their final decisions.
Latte Art Throwdown Beginner Category:
1st Runner-up: Roman Bautista
Champion: Jeovani Marcena
Latte Art Throwdown Professional Category:
1st Runner-up: Jeno Sarapao
Champion: Emmanuel Johanson
The Latte Art Throwdown showed me that this skill is not at all common, and the competition could be as heated as any other creative competition.
All photos are taken by: b.art
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