The Barista

A delicious scent of coffee floated in the room of the bar La Belle Époque. John Zahno, the bartender, bragged about being the best barista in town.

For years, he had carefully studied the characteristics of different coffees. All he had to do was smell their aroma to determine where they came from, what species, where they grew, who grew them, and even the day and time they were harvested. When he served coffee, he worked wonders with the foam and created extraordinary works.

Once, we even saw him reproduce the Sistine Chapel! Two customers entered the bar. John, had fun trying to guess what they were going to order: ristretto, espresso, macchiato, cappuccino…? He already knew that he would be happy to tell them the story of mocha from Ethiopia, kopi luwak from Indonesia, or Blue Mountain from Jamaica… At this simple idea, he was completely exhilarated.

"Hello, what can I get you?" he asked hopefully. “A Diet Coke for me and a grenadine for my friend,” one of them answered flatly.