"Always make sure to pack extra glassware" Ok James, I'll make sure to pack extra glassware when I compete for the world barista championships.

this has to be is the single most niche video i've ever watched

James: I kept telling them to “enjoy” it but that kind of thing doesn’t work. Also James: The judges didn’t remember much of my performance, only that they “enjoyed” it. 😂

This is how I speak serving a Nespresso to my crew.

I wanna see an anime adaption of the World Barista Championship with James Hoffmann as the protagonist

All the judges really remembered was that they "enjoyed" it... I guess your imprinting worked.

He looked like he was 15 back then yet he still had the same deep voice. The mystery of his aging process truly is something.

My biggest fear in life is having to make James Hoffman a cup of coffee

I- I didn’t even know he used to compete.. I thought he just REALLY liked coffee.. I have even more respect for this guy now!

There are a lot of nuggets of info in this that are applicable to situations outside of barista comps. 1. know the rules and how to bend them 2. know your audience's expectations and how to pleasantly subvert them 3. commonplace themes or ingredients can be creative if used properly 4. people remember how you made them feel more than anything else 5. let your character shine through. People like it when you're unapologetically yourself. 6. word choice can set the mood for your audience and prime them for a better experience 7. things usually don't go the way you plan. Keep calm and roll with the punches. 8. have a plan B. Come with spare parts. 9. Have empathy for your audience. Put yourself in their shoes. 10. too much caffeine makes nervousness worse. 11. If you train with a handicap or under sub optimal conditions, you'll do well on game day.

Won't remember the content of this video in a few years, but will definitely remember enjoying it.

Holy crap, that was you! I remember taking a translation test back in 2010. The text was a set of unpublished tasting notes from one of the judges, in Hungarian, to be back-translated into English. I still remember it as one of the most interesting, unusual texts I've ever read (especially as a technical translator with no culinary background). I've been watching your videos for months now, and I just now put two and two together.

I find it amazing that so many of James' followers, including myself, had no idea that he was a world barista champion. Despite not knowing this, we have all enjoyed the way James approaches his reviews, recommendations, etc in a consistent manner, trusting him based on his know-how rather than being biased by his paper credentials. This is for me like passing a "blind test" of coffee enjoyment.

"People compete without reading every single rule, and I think that's insane!" Love his proffesionalism and dedication to his trade.

James: "I used to look ridiculous, the hair the glasses, the lot." Also James: *wears glasses made out of red gummy bears*

James was on that single estate buzz way before everyone else.. a true barista hipster

It honestly annoys me when people say this is a "hipster" thing. This has been going on for years. People compete in baking and cooking. I dont see how this is different. Theres legit talent that comes into making a good ass cup of coffee.

I really *ENJOYED* this

Fun fact: blackcurrant was actually banned in the Usa for a long time because apparently it produced a fungus that damaged pine trees, which would be devastating for the logging industry. And still blackcurrant is really uncommon in the us. That’s why in Europe we have blackcurrant flavoured candies and in the USA those same candies would have grape flavour (for example fruittella/starburst). And it’s also why the judges didn’t know what blackcurrant was!

I don't even drink coffee, how have I watched about ten of this gentleman's videos today?

You can see why he was the world champ. He takes bold risks. He knows the rules. He knows how to bend them. He exudes class and professionalism. It's like every rule change or introduction for the next year's competition was because of him.

Mr. Hoffman, I enjoyed this presentation as well as the one I saw in Bern during the 2006 WBC. I was the national champion for Puerto Rico at the time. Thank you for your dedication and inspiration. I saw Jose Arreola in the background. We are with him this weekend in PR for the National CIGS and the National Latte Art Championships.

A master class in communication, both in the competition, and the commentary. It's never entirely what you say to people, it's the way you make them feel!

"The rules have changed ..." Yes, it seems like your antics broke the competition so badly they had to come up with new rules!!! ;-) I loved the story. Thanks!

Why am I watching this? I enjoyed it though.

"Practice making mistakes" is great advice for any sort of competition.

Hey the neurolinguistic thing works! Here in France, the waiter always offers the wine with complementary words like "Precious. Full-bodied. Etc." They have even conducted blind taste tests of very expensive wines introduced vulgarly against cheap wines introduced with complementary words, and people always admit that the cheap wine tasted better! The taste is in the brain! Well done!

I'd like to see your go-to home routine, i.e. what you make in the morning most of the time.

When I competed for business pitches, I did exactly as you recommend here. I looked for the gray areas in the rules. You're supposed to give your pitch in X minutes and then answer questions for Y minutes, so what I did was I set up exactly the questions I wanted the audience to ask in my Y minutes, so I could then practice those questions and effectively spend the Y minutes to extend my pitch. Not in a way that would violate the spirit of the rules, but in a way that it would give the audience a breather from a fairly intense and loaded business case. Questions are a primer; Which is to say, it piques the interest because the audience now feels a new arc of tension that you can use to grab their attention again. So after you've already told a great pitch, the audience question gives you an opportunity to show off that you know your stuff and that is itself the story that you're trying to sell. So I deliberately left information out of the pitch that I knew I would be asked and then let the audience ask the question so I could answer it in a way that was more entertaining than if I just soullessly read up numbers. I made about 10,000 dollars across two competitions that way. Always read the rules, try to find how to get to the minimum of those rules with the least amount of effort and then use whatever time you have left to lay it on thicker and thicker that you're winning material.

"Anecdote - I did almost kill Heston Blumenthal with and iteration of this drink" Hold up...

10:35 To think that James found (or should I say made?) a loophole which eventually gave way to competitors in the following years. You could almost say James walked so others could run 👏🏼

I feel like over the years James’ appearance adapted to match his voice

I thought this would be a silly, but you made it really insightful. And be generous to your ten-years-ago self. He did eventually turn out alright, you know.

The video that brought me here to this video was the unedited video of your performance. My biggest take away from your presentation was that you seemed to really enjoy serving the judges and informing them of your coffee choices. I love situations like that. I've fallen down a rabbit hole of your channel lately. So much so that I've purchased my first hand grinder and a V60. I've been doing old school pour over for years after moving from French press and I'm enjoying my new morning routine. Thank you, sir.

i think about this video often because it has tremendously impacted how i approach going to work as a barista in specialty coffee. customers aren’t world class coffee judges, but they are the ones responsible for keeping the cafe where i work in business. i have found that the more patient and encouraging that i am, the more i can help someone have an enjoyable experience, even if they don’t necessarily love their drink. the tip about having empathy for your judges, as well as keeping in mind reasonable taste vocabulary, is a big part of how i interact with customers at my job, and it’s really made what was previously just another job to help me with my music career into something worth getting up early in the morning to do

Even for people who are not coffee geeks, this is a masterclass in preparation and presentation. The NLP aspect was interesting. I wouldn’t even have picked it up. It’s a great model for how to use language in a competition like this, where you are using your presentation skills as a vehicle to enhance the experience of the product, in this case coffee, that you are presenting.

Mr. Hoffman, I think that you have an amazing opportunity to create some great specialty coffee content. These types of videos are unique and very much needed in our industry. Please continue knowing you have my support!

Me: Wow that cappuccino looks amazing James: Terrible latte art, terrible depth I know I succ smh Me: :0

I love current James mocking past James' hair!

It's like a proud father watching his son...except it's him! Nice breakdown. Thanks for sharing.

James you were just as articulate 10 years ago as you are now. A pleasure to listen to you, video after video.

I always knew ciggies and coffee went together. I'd like to announce now my signature drink at the next WBC will be a mug of international roast and a winnie blue.

Thank you for making this video, and taking us a trip down your memory lane at the competition. As an aspiring orchestral conductor, I am humbled - even moved - by the knowledge and insights you shared, for they resonate with my take on what I do with music for people. I really enjoyed your sharing on using descriptors, practise making mistakes (!), and the often misconstrued conception of creativity. Having been introduced to specialty coffee since November 2018, the experience of making, tasting, judging and enjoying the coffee have helped me realise and manage my subconscious fears, insecurities and hesitancy; all of that as a result of one's daily ritual of making Aeropress coffee. I can only imagine how much perseverance, discipline and deep reflection baristas like you have made as you continue to shape your craft. Thank you for taking time to read my comment, and keep making these videos. Take care and all the best! P.S. I've read your World Atlas of Coffee book too - would love to try Yunan coffee someday!

The skills of using the right number of words in communication is certainly a skill we can all learn form.

Many years ago, I performed in a national "walkaround" competition for Subaru of America. The essence of this is very much what you just demonstrated as a barista, except, that instead of preparing and serving them drinks, I was judged on how much information I was able to convey about the car and how much excitement I could generate with the question to be answered: Would you buy this car from this person right now? I took first runner up (second place). The reason I took second and not first was a point that you illustrated beautifully. The judges didn't remember details about your performance, just that they really liked it. As I watched the winning performance at the award banquet, I recall a very strong sense that the reason this salesman won was not because his performance was technically excellent (which it was), but because he engaged the judges by asking them a question which he then proceeded to answer. I came away watching that performance understanding that his performance was clearly better than mine in that he engaged much better. Mine wasn't any less detailed, any less eloquent (note: nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof that has just been struck by lightning...settle on that mental picture for a second)...but his was memorable. I remember walking over to him and taking his hand and raising it up and lead a standing ovation, because it was that good. Point: You don't have to be perfect. You do have to be remembered for making people feel like they are the only people on the planet. Nicely done!

You are, single-handedly, the best story teller! Your eloquence and accent are as smooth as the espressos you serve. I love this channel!

A masterclass in communication, I can watch this over & over.

This is actually a very illuminating video to watch as a college teacher (maths & physics for my sake). The importance of establishing an empathetic connection with your students in order to let the concepts and workflows of your subject "suffuse" into their own mind and imagination can't be overstated. One might think that the logic of maths and the phenomenology of physics would be enough in its own right, but it's the students *perception* of logic and the students *experience* of physical phenomena that counts - which I'm guessing corresponds to the judges experience of what your coffee tasted like. Doesn't matter if you're a teacher, a barista or a magician, you gotta work your audience. 😉

"Practice making mistakes." I'm a pro in making mistakes already.

Had no idea this world existed. Buying my Breville Barista Touch has opened up a whole new world to me. Best of all it has opened up coffee better than I had been buying at Starbucks for much less money. Who knew coffee could be exciting? Everything about this performance screams intelligence to me. I have no idea how this would actually taste but I am sold just by the simple act of watching this. I watched the original stand alone the other day and was very impressed. The added commentary here just confirms what came through loud and clear by watching the original video.

Very nice, makes me feel privileged to have been part of this bit of history; the emerging speciality coffee scene/community of London. You have played a huge part in that, thank you.

Just want to say I really enjoy this longer content. Thank you!

The Donut coffee makes so much sense when watching this performance.

I must say: as a linguistics nerd, I am thoroughly impressed with the fact that you are into neurolinguistics.

This is amazing, I’m lost for words on your presentation and overall technique

Amazing performance and that Midlake in the background really takes me back.

Bravo. Thank you for allowing us to take a peak into the thought process of the competitor.

You statement about using the tasting note "black currant" and the judges not knowing what that was echoes what Morgan from MorganDrinksCoffee experienced this year at the barista championships when she used the tasting note "yuzu" which is a wonderful citrus fruit that... again some of the judges didn't know. She smartly adjusted her tasting notes in later rounds, but I found this a great point you both made for extremely similar reasons.

A masterclass, thank you. Many of your points are relevant to any competition (in my case, gliding).

8:25 CGP Grey actually talked about this in a podcast episode about the book Thinking, Fast and Slow which is basically about the idea of priming which was a really big thing for a time in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Priming is the idea that you can say things to someone to influence their behavior or thinking in some way. HOWEVER it began to be majorly questioned because of this event called the Replication Crisis, much of the stuff about priming could not be replicated reliably, and since replication is one of the basic parts of the scientific method it put into question much of that sort of stuff. anyway if you want a better run down CGP Grey talks about it in episode 119 of his podcast Cortex, give it a listen its very good.

Coming back to this as shortly after the 2022 WBC and as I prepare for an interview...this was both entertaining and helpful. Thank you as always, James.

I always really enjoy your analytical thought and insight even more than the actual coffee content on this channel. I am confident with your intellectual talent, you would have been very successful at so many different subjects. Your current success in this industry is not an accident. Lucky for us, you graciously share your passion for coffee. Please continue, and thank you.

Since watching you and seeing your championship video and your narration of what you was doing I think it’s good that you have come this far to tell the story of how you got here

This was really nice, I remember you winning WBC back in the day very well as I was just getting into coffee back then! Thanks for the the inspiration, back then and now, and the walk-though, very interesting!

I remember watching the live stream of this performance. You once mentioned how few actual competitions you had competed in up until the world championships. Was it 3? Stephen Morrisey's 2008 routine was so likeable. The music was spot on.

I studied gastronomy in college (Mexico) and i've been a cook and chef in different places for the last 2 years. I now see why I like your videos so much. The way you approach and think about coffee. Even though I studied for years to get my Gastronomy degree, i'd say more than half of things I know now were self taught. Mixed in with all of my influences, Blumenthal and Chefsteps have been a great part of how I think about food now. A curious connection.

James is always so well spoken really enjoy listening to him

I am glade we got to see this! I would have never known you competed like that. It has brought my view of your expertise to a whole new level!

I often see this video pop up in my recommended list, but never clicked because I assumed it was targeted for barista competitors, and I wouldn't appreciate gaining nothing from a 21min technical video. Just realised how wrong I was. While I'm sure this was very useful for competitors, I loved how the advice was tied back to creativity, being adaptable and giving a good experience to people without them realising it, ideas that are very applicable and significant. As usual, your inspiring perspective made this video a truly enjoyable one :)

i love the fact that you subliminally brainwashed them. someone should work in PR.

Thanks James. I have watched many of the championship videos now and not understood too much. But this gives me so much more confidence in knowing with some hard work and getting a good coach I could too win one some day!

Fascinating James. I’m pretty sure I actually saw this clip originally when it was first aired and it blew me away! Your hair and specs were cool too! Thanks for a great video.

Had to watch this again soon after watching Morgan Eckroth's performance. Interesting how much the setup of the competition has changed and how much more high-production and polished it is today.

I feel like I learn more about coffee and the person I aspire to be when I watch your videos.

Thank you James for revisiting this. I forgot how key this performance and pushing the status quo was.

Hello James, I just wanted to take a second and say that I really enjoy your channel! I love coffee and and I love the time, care and quality that you put into your videos, keep up the great content!

Actually, using the term 'blackcurrant' might not have been such a hindrance after all. Comparing the coffee to an unknown fruit makes it sound somewhat exotic and mysterious, which might in turn positively have influenced the judges.

Thoroughly enjoyed this presentation. James, I would love to watch some further commentary/reaction videos of other excellent or winning WBC routines by other competitors or from other years.

Very insightful and informative. I, as someone who is completely out of the loop on this competitions, really enjoyed your unpacking of the competition. Also, I really appreciate you commenting on your past mistakes, it does really provide encouragement for everyone struggling with their projects. Any mastery comes from a lot of hard work and mistakes. Thanks for sharing this!

20:23 I like that! Applies to a lot of things really, more often than not being able to connect/empathize weighs a lot more than being technical/correct. Been binging on your channel for the past days and i can really feel that from your videos. I really appreciate the way you share your love and passion for coffee🖤 Thank you for this!

Why this in my recomendation? im ENJOYED it

Would say the same for any vocal performance. While being technical is important, the Maya Angelou saying still stands... People might forget the things you said or did, but they will never forget... how you made them feel! Whether a musical performance, cooking competition, painting demo or coffee championship... When all is said & done, what matters more than anything.. is making that emotional connection w/ everything & everyone. Thought it was a very good performance. Well spoken & apparently, very creative, well made drinks too... We would all be overly critical of ourselves, but looks like you had fun, thanks for sharing!! :) Stay safe, be well & ... ENJOY! :)

Classic James Hofmann! Watched the original which I enjoyed but this version was so illuminating! Thank you James🙏🙏🙏

I’ve learned a lot from this video. Not just about the competition or coffee. But also in our life’s “presentations”. How we can challenge an idea and aim to be better. This is just nice.

This was so eye-opening. I feel like I might take inspiration from this in teaching and storytelling. Until now, I honestly did not think coffee was such a deep or conscious thing

How did you end up working with the Fat Duck on the sig drink?

No mocking you James! You have so much to share! I love your videos!

I've been looking for something new to watch and I think WBC throughout the years is it!

Of Montreal! 12-years-ago-James seems like a nice dude.

For someone who until recently never really knew what barista championships are like, it's crazy to me how much room for priming and suggesting to the judge what their experience will be a contestant is allowed. It's like serving a customer that you know is a secret shopper. Which really makes sense after I stopped thinking these competitions are about who makes better coffee.

Delighted but hardly surprised to learn about your Blumenthal/Chefsteps connections. This is perhaps the third video of yours I've queued up, and what a perfect introduction to your background and personality. Subscribed :)

Brilliant commentary and self-reflection. This is an incredibly enjoyable watch.

The algorithm gives, the algorithm takes. The ways of KZfaq are unknown.

Your moment of closing loop is actually a very popular anime trope (it's actually a popular trope in all media but especially popular in anime.) It's really cool that it happened in Japan, the country of anime.

I think after watching this video, you just became my most favourite youtuber of all times. Thank you for putting in the effort to do youtube and sharing so many things with us. You have a brilliant mind and well honed communication skills. I learned so much from you, not only about coffee.

Dude.... I've watched this routine about 10 times... each time I catch something new... just an amazing show!

James, the only thing that people should take away from your Winning Routine, is your love for coffee. In my opinion, all of these tricks you did was the result of your dedication, your passion and research. I don't believe there's any way to "cheat", because the judges can see through that. But it was your effort to the attention to detail and the intricacies of coffee making that related to them. Not a lot of people would talk like you do about coffee or care about these little things and that's what set you apart in the competition.

This was fascinating to watch. Some life lessons on how to be successful, that I thought were eloquently highlighted: - Think about how you make people feel. You want to make people feel good. - Tailor your communication to your audience. - Understand the context in which they (your audience) make decisions, and give them every opportunity/remove any obstacles to making the decisions you want. - Tell compelling stories to influence your target audience. - Engage with the audience, and know how you're influencing their expectations. - Surround yourself with a great team. It might just be you in the spotlight in the finals, but a great team is will be immensely helpful (essential?) getting you there. - Really understand the environment you're operating in. Know the rules, how they're applied, where there is room for interpretation, and what this means for what you need to/can do. - At the highest levels, be intentional about everything, and ensure every action is optimised. - Know your craft, and don't be afraid to put your own spin on things. - Practice everything. This includes practicing how to recover from mistakes. - Come prepared. If something critical can break, have backups available.

I just want to put a little comment that I am also happy and touched by the struggle at that time, thank you for helping me make delicious coffee and being a teacher at home I am happy a little crying touched Your achievement work will be remembered by the world Mr. James Hoffmann

You look good as your young self. Dont be so negative about yourself, your style and grace was amazing. All the way from then till today you were and are amazing.