It’s fair to call White Rock Coffee roaster Jonathan Meadows Dallas’ best barista because he’s the first person from our city to place high enough in the South Central Regional Barista Competition to advance to the U.S. Barista Competition, for which he was preparing when we caught up with him. To him, java is more than just a jolt-inducing potable — it’s an art and a way of life. Here, he shares his coffee philosophy and more.
At what point did coffee brewing become more than just a job for you?
I’ve been working at White Rock Coffee on and off three years … now I am the coffee roaster. When I first started, it was just a job, but at some point early on I began to really get interested in coffee. I started learning everything I could about it — about where it was grown, who grows it … and I learned about the difficulties faced by coffee farmers. So much money goes into coffee in the U.S., but the coffee farmers usually don’t see a whole lot of that. Many coffee farmers in developing countries live in poverty. That started tugging at my heartstrings a bit, and I guess that’s where the passion for coffee really took root.
So this is your calling?
This is my life. I don’t know where the coffee industry is going exactly, but my next step is going to be to possibly reach out to coffee farmers, travel and fill in some of the gaps to what I have learned. There is sort of a subculture of baristas out there who are pursuing this as a career, rather than just a job that gets them through college (for some it is [just a job] and that’s OK, too) but there’s a culinary and artistic level … and philosophical — in a way, we represent all who have gone before us, everyone who has touched the coffee throughout the process.
You recently received some accolades for your good work. Tell us about that.
The regional barista competition is the first time I’ve been in the public eye, competed, and done well. I always felt I was good and knowledgeable about my job, but I’d never really had an outside stamp of approval. I really just went out there and tried my best. It feels good to be noticed.
How does the competition work?
There are 10 regional competitions, and the top six in each advance to the U.S. Barista Championship, and one barista from there will represent the U.S. in the World Barista Championship — last year there were 52 countries represented at the world competition, which goes to show that it is quite a growing subculture. Anyway, you have 15 minutes to prepare three separate drinks for each of four judges — one is your own specialty drink. My drink is a little out there. It’s made with espresso, ruby red grapefruit and raw honey. Most people wouldn’t expect this mix, but it actually pairs well — the grapefruit’s acidity complements the coffee. I had sort of a team of people that helped me come up with it before the competition.
If I wanted to try the grapefruit espresso drink, can I drop by White Rock Coffee and order one?
Yes and no. Well, mostly, no. There’s a was a promotional event I did [last month] in which I made the drink, and showcased the coffees I most like to use, but under regular circumstances, it is too time consuming, messy, and we’d have to keep fresh grapefruit on hand all the time.