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Revision as of 16:43, 2 January 2006 by Portafilter (talk | contribs) (Cleaned it up... removed commercial links...)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The term barista (the Italian word for "bartender" - masculine or feminine; plural: baristi (masculine) or bariste (feminine)) has been used in English to denote a maker of espresso based beverages. Its journey into English has been accompanied by a slight shift in meaning. When using the term in English, a barista denotes one who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks. "Barista" in Italy is the bartender, who prepares both alcoholic drinks and espresso coffee beverages.
In its most basic form, a barista by definition is one who prepares espresso coffee beverages. However, its meaning is expanding to include what might be called a coffee sommelier, who is highly skilled in espresso preparation, with a comprehensive understanding of coffee, coffee blends, quality, coffee varietals, roast degree, espresso equipment, maintenance, and performance, latte art, etc.