On the evening of Thursday, May 19, the New Orleans coffee community converged at Mammoth Espresso for Thursday Night Throwdown, the latte art competition series organized by the New Orleans Barista Social Club. We had an awesome time hosting all who came out, from professional baristas to curious spectators and our friends and neighbors in the Warehouse District.

For the uninitiated, Thursday Night Throwdown is a bracket-style tournament which pits baristas head-to-head pouring latte art – those little designs that adorn your espresso beverage.  There were a number of incredible pours, as well as the occasional flub or spill, and in the end a champion was crowned. Congrats to Byron Gomez of Spitfire Coffee for taking first place!

The event also featured a pop-up from our friends, The Hot Plate Boyz, who cooked up a bevy of southern dishes, like pulled pork, braised beef and meatloaf with red beans, mac and cheese and more. The Hot Plate Boyz were a massive success, and sold out before the night was over. You can catch them at other pop ups serving Nashville-style hot chicken under the name Ring of Fire.

We had a blast sharing our space with everyone who came out for Thursday Night Throwdown. A big thanks goes to the New Orleans Barista Social Club and our competition judges (Sarah Lambeth, previous winner; Darlene Riethmaier, Mammoth co-owner; and Hattie Moll of Hattie Sparks). A special shout out also goes to our own Maria Degtiarenko for pulling shot after shot of espresso for each competitor.

Check out the photos below (taken by the fabulous Caroline Richter) and visit the New Orleans Barista Social Club for updates on future coffee events in New Orleans.