“Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry” I tell myself every US Barista Championship season (to no avail, every time). Spending this season on the other side of the table has been one of the most fulfilling and challenging things I’ve ever done in barista competition. It’s sport and sensory and mental gymnastics and some of the best coffee and competitors in the nation. In a surprise turn of events, after judging Round One and Semis, I had the opportunity to join a panel of barista champions and sit down with each of this year’s finalists after their final routines. To this year’s finalists and every competitor I had the joy of being served by, thank you. The level of competition this year was unbelievable. To our 2025 US Barista Champion @edukaycheon, a special congratulations. You are a force. Onto Worlds! Photos by @baristaseries, @madewildly, and @nikiweegens