I have a confession to make. I drink coffee. Despite my social media profile and what the internet tells you, this avid tea drinker also enjoys a good cup of joe. I know…not everything on the interwebs is true. Shocking. As much as I love having Starbuck baristas attempt to spell my name correctly, I love frequenting small local coffee stores even more. There is something about discovering a nice cup of steaming deliciousness from a local business owner. They are normally making the coffee or in the back baking snacks and is just so pumped you love their coffee.

One of the places I frequent is Rocanini Roasters, a small roaster in Mount Pleasant area that serves up a beautiful cup of coffee. I love their Americanos, which are super smooth and easy to drink. Most importantly, I find their coffee to pack a nice punch of flavour and not too acidic (some coffee just eats my stomach). Rocanini also roasts their coffee at their Mount Pleasant location, so it’s a neat space to visit! If you go in and see nobody at the till, ring the bell! They’re likely in the back roasting coffee/washing beans/doing whatever magic vodoo is needed to turn beans into delicious nectar of the gods.

They also have a location in Richmond in Steveston, which has art shows, so if you are in the area, check it out.

Anyways, while I was in for coffee the other day I noticed a poster. Apparently, this Saturday the  2014 Canadian Western Regional Barista Championships will be held at Rocanini! So cool.

If you are interested in learning more about coffee or watching some of the best Baristas in Western Canada compete in latte art, this is a must see! There are even free samples and prize draws.

Oh and it ends with a BBQ. AWESSSSOME. Also…I am wondering, what do they do with all those wonderful cups of lattes after judging? I am happy to volunteer and help them ‘dispose’ of waste? Hehe..joking..not really.

If you want to check out the event here are the details:

Saturday, July 26, 2014 at Rocanini Roasters, 127 West 5th Ave, Vancouver, BC

• 10:00 – 4:00 Exhibitors and Seminars
• 12:00 – 4:00 Competitor Performances
• 4:30 – 5:30 Interactive latte art competition Demo
• 5:35 – 5:45 Announcement of Final Results
• 6:00-9:00 After party and BBQ

Next time you are in Mount Pleasant give Rocanini Roasters a try and let me know your thoughts, and maybe see you Saturday?

You can follow Rocanini on Twitter: @rocanini.