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Barista Pathway Intensive — One-Day Professional Barista Training | Chicago

The complete Sip Society Barista Pathway Series—three professional workshops combined into one immersive day.

Whether you're hoping to work in a café, strengthen your current barista skills, or finally understand coffee beyond the basics, the Barista Pathway Intensive provides a full day of hands-on training designed around real café expectations.

Working in small groups on commercial café equipment, you'll learn the complete workflow of a professional barista—from brewing and sensory evaluation to espresso preparation, milk steaming, latte art, and drink assembly.

No prior café experience is required.

What You'll Learn
Brewing Fundamentals & Sensory Skills

Build the foundation every great barista relies on.

You'll learn how brewing variables influence flavor, develop professional tasting skills, and understand how coffee's journey from farm to cup affects what ends up in the mug.

Topics include:

• Manual brewing methods and recipe development
• Grind size, brew ratio, water temperature, and extraction
• Coffee origin, processing, and roasting fundamentals
• Professional coffee tasting and sensory evaluation
• Describing coffee using flavor, body, acidity, and balance
• Communicating coffee confidently with guests

Espresso Fundamentals & Workflow

Learn to work behind an espresso bar with intention, consistency, and efficiency.

Using commercial espresso equipment, you'll develop professional habits while learning how cafés produce consistent espresso throughout service.

Topics include:

• Espresso machine and grinder operation
• Proper dosing, distribution, tamping, and extraction
• Executing and repeating espresso recipes consistently
• Dialing in espresso through logical adjustments
• Identifying under- and over-extracted espresso
• Troubleshooting common espresso issues
• Bar organization, workflow, and cleanliness
• Daily equipment care and maintenance

Milk, Latte Art & Drink Assembly

Finish the day by bringing everything together to build café-quality beverages from start to finish.

You'll practice coordinating espresso and milk while producing drinks efficiently in a service-style environment.

Topics include:

• Café menu knowledge and drink construction
• Milk steaming and microfoam development
• Basic latte art techniques
• Espresso-based drink assembly
• Workflow during multi-drink preparation
• Maintaining speed, organization, and cleanliness behind the bar
• Mock café service scenarios

Hands-On Experience

Throughout the day, participants will spend the majority of their time working directly with coffee.

You'll:

• Brew and evaluate coffee together
• Pull espresso on commercial equipment
• Steam milk and pour latte art
• Build complete café beverages
• Practice workflow in realistic service scenarios
• Receive coaching and feedback from experienced instructors

What You'll Walk Away With

By the end of the Barista Pathway Intensive, you'll be able to:

• Brew balanced coffee using professional techniques
• Taste and evaluate coffee with confidence
• Pull consistent espresso to a recipe
• Dial in espresso using logical adjustments
• Steam silky microfoam for café-quality beverages
• Pour foundational latte art
• Build common espresso drinks correctly
• Maintain an organized, efficient workstation
• Understand the workflow expected in a professional café

Professional Skills Assessment

Throughout the day, instructors observe participants using a practical skills assessment modeled after entry-level café expectations.

Following the workshop, participants receive:

• Certificate of Completion
• Individual skills evaluation with instructor feedback
• Professional development recommendations

Professional Development Opportunities

Graduates of the Barista Pathway Intensive may be invited to continue building experience with Sip Society through opportunities to:

• Assist during future workshops alongside experienced educators
• Gain hands-on experience in real service environments
• Connect with café employment opportunities
• Participate in future coffee education projects and events

Who This Intensive Is For

• Aspiring baristas
• Entry-level café employees
• Working baristas looking to refine their skills
• Coffee enthusiasts seeking professional-level education
• Anyone interested in understanding coffee from brew bar to espresso bar

Event Details

Duration: Approximately 7–8 hours (including breaks)

Prerequisite: None

Location: Sip Society Coffee Education Center – Chicago (North Center)

Format: In-person • Hands-on • Small-group instruction

This intensive combines the complete Barista Pathway curriculum into one immersive day, providing the same comprehensive training as our three-week series in a single experience.