Video 5 – The return of the absurd

By James Hoffmann | Published: July 10, 2009

So to wrap up my first successful week (which has been both harder and easier than I imagined):

Related links:

Previous Absurd Latte Art Challenge

Prizes:

12 Month Subscription – Square Mile Coffee Roasters

12 Month Subscription – Transcend Coffee Roasters

(Update: Thanks to Poul Mark for his generous offer of coffee from Transcend!  Awesome!)

If you are up to the challenge post a link to your work in the comments – I will accept photos or video.  C’mon!  Have a go!  It’s very silly…..

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42 Comments

  1. Poul Mark
    Posted July 10, 2009 at 7:04 pm | Permalink

    Thanks James for week one. To sweeten the pot, I will add to the mix and throw in a year’s subscription from Transcend Coffee to the winner as well. Think of it as shrinking the coffee community. We will find something silly for Josh to pour with around here, and get a video uploaded today. We will even pour it into some of the delicious Summer Espresso that arrived yesterday! Thanks Anette!

    Reply
  2. Cup to Cup
    Posted July 10, 2009 at 8:21 pm | Permalink

    Well now I feel silly for asking about what no crema would mean for latte art without even trying it. Touche. Now off to find something ridiculous to pour art with.

    Reply
  3. Rob Dunne
    Posted July 10, 2009 at 9:52 pm | Permalink

    Hey james, enjoying your video’s all of interests so far. I’ve played with the latte art in no crema before, even produces latte art in instant coffee, so i reckon you just need two liquids, one denser than the other and different in colour obviously. Anyways look forward to ABSURD challenge, I’ll be back.

    Reply
  4. Mark
    Posted July 10, 2009 at 10:29 pm | Permalink

    When I was staying with my Mom in Ottawa during her illness, I arranged for an Innova espresso machine and grinder to be there at her home; but there wasn’t any steaming pitchers included with the setup. My mom had seen my pours of latte art, but not in person.

    I grabbed an old soup can (Campbells, I believe lol), pinched the round top a bit, cleaned it out like crazy, and frothed milk in it, and was able to pour hearts and rosettas. I think I have some photos somewhere…

    There ya go – started a thread on CG, and others tried it too:

    http://coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/latteart/42914?Page=1

    :)
    Should I do it again as an entry, or does this count? Points for age of the technique?

    Reply
    • James Hoffmann
      Posted July 10, 2009 at 10:32 pm | Permalink

      I think you can probably pour better art now than you could then, so I vote for a redo! Points for art as well as absurdity!

      Impressive work nonetheless!

      Reply
  5. james S
    Posted July 11, 2009 at 12:55 am | Permalink

    Please consider this transcend coffee’s official entry:

    It took a few tries, but Josh threw down what I think—considering the vessel he was using—is a pretty solid effort.

    Reply
  6. james S
    Posted July 11, 2009 at 12:57 am | Permalink

    Oops, the link got kinda wonky there. Let’s just try this:
    http://www.transcendcoffeeblog.com/?p=669

    Reply
  7. Mark
    Posted July 11, 2009 at 2:10 am | Permalink

    Ach. I don’t think my piddly soup can is gonna beat that Summer Espresso bag pour goin’ there.

    WOW.

    Reply
  8. dsc
    Posted July 11, 2009 at 11:58 pm | Permalink

    How you came up with this video blows my mind, very original, good work guys!

    Reply
  9. Ian Clark
    Posted July 12, 2009 at 12:25 am | Permalink

    When’s the deadline?

    Reply
  10. Angela
    Posted July 15, 2009 at 12:38 pm | Permalink

    Here is our entry. Thanks James, we had a lot of fun!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n0_0nUhXNI

    Reply
  11. Troy O'Rourke
    Posted July 15, 2009 at 1:20 pm | Permalink

    Damn those Ratatat toting Transcendentals, just read your blog and decided upon pouring into a coffee bag for my entry. Never mind, I will have to come up with something equally worthy of the title.
    Cheers for the chance to be a bit silly, I submitted the NZ cash register pic last time so will be fun to play around again. Incidentely, I had the opportunity to taste some Square Mile coffees recently in Europe courtesy of Hungarian barista champ Atilla, who had just come back from your neck of the wood. Fantastic coffees, just wish I could have bought some home with me.
    Cheers Troy

    Reply
  12. Niko S
    Posted July 15, 2009 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    HeLLo James!

    Here’s my silly pour with DC shoe.
    The milk staled little bit because of messing up with camera.
    But still absurd -i think? Not my best pour but with little practise this might be good method ;)

    Here’s the link:
    http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5275/pourwithdcshoe.jpg

    Reply
  13. )on Lewis
    Posted July 15, 2009 at 9:51 pm | Permalink

    My submission – starring Locha, the goat.

    http://www.vimeo.com/5611644

    Reply
    • alexander ruas
      Posted July 16, 2009 at 10:08 am | Permalink

      Jon L and family + goat! fantastic film! by far my favourite! the latte art strangeness was on par with the others but the film was quirky, bizarr and sort of Dr Strangelove-like in its surrealism!

      Reply
    • james S
      Posted July 16, 2009 at 11:16 pm | Permalink

      Mad points for style! Great visual storytelling.

      Reply
    • Mike North/Marquard
      Posted August 6, 2009 at 4:22 am | Permalink

      the master….

      Reply
  14. David Walsh
    Posted July 16, 2009 at 10:54 pm | Permalink

    Here’s the Team Ireland entry:

    http://www.viddler.com/explore/otherblackstuff/videos/3/

    Reply
  15. Alex R
    Posted July 17, 2009 at 11:00 am | Permalink

    Me pouring Latte Art from a drinks can…

    http://blip.tv/file/2369467/#

    Reply
  16. Em
    Posted July 18, 2009 at 1:57 am | Permalink

    Hey James,

    Here’s an amateur’s attempt at the absurd…

    http://teamprettybake.blogspot.com/2009/07/world-may-be-against-me-but-im-going-to.html

    Not really a serious contender, but executed in the spirit of the challenge, so hopefully at least a little silly.

    Reply
  17. Hunt Slade
    Posted July 20, 2009 at 1:35 am | Permalink

    Here is our submission – we lost a lot of footage due to a corrupted file, but we finished it out anyhow – great fun!! ~ H

    http://vimeo.com/5669175

    Reply
    • james S
      Posted July 20, 2009 at 7:34 pm | Permalink

      I really wanted the umbrella to work. That would have seriously rocked. Nice variety guys.

      Reply
      • Jacob Orr
        Posted July 20, 2009 at 9:33 pm | Permalink

        Thanks James, The umbrella was one of the best ones we tried! It has potential.

        Reply
  18. Hans Pronk
    Posted July 20, 2009 at 2:42 am | Permalink

    So, here’s the most original submission…. pouring milk from nothing other than…….. a milk bottle – enjoy!

    Reply
  19. Hans Pronk
    Posted July 20, 2009 at 2:49 am | Permalink

    And here’s the link:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOHeFzschvA

    Reply
  20. Troy O'Rourke
    Posted July 20, 2009 at 12:49 pm | Permalink

    Well heres my first attempt, was fun to do but I think I’ll find something else that has more of an affinity with latte art. I handicapped myself too much with the small volume vessel.
    By the way, good stuff Hans its great to see some more Kiwis with plenty of spare time. ;)

    link: http://www.vimeo.com/5676820

    Reply
  21. Sander
    Posted July 20, 2009 at 7:59 pm | Permalink

    Hi James, and coffee-lovers!

    here an Absurd LatteARt from the Netherlands!
    I hope you like it!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkkWhM7h2og

    Cheers,

    Sander Schat

    ps: When is the closing date of this challenge?

    Reply
  22. Jesse Bladyka
    Posted July 21, 2009 at 5:31 am | Permalink

    Here’s my first crack at it. Sorry for the sideways, poor video quality, I make coffee not videos you know?

    anyway, from wyoming with love-

    Cheers-

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_6yfMEqsRw

    Reply
  23. cornilius chibaya
    Posted July 21, 2009 at 6:15 pm | Permalink

    My Boss and I we are up to a challange we don’t know if we are going to impress the world of coffee,Anyway besides that Sir Hoffmann i thank you for inspiring me to rise from beign a college boy to be come one of the coffee fanatics thanks to your peformance at the WBC 2007 keep up the good work i’ll be watching from a distance until we meet

    Reply
  24. Friso
    Posted July 27, 2009 at 7:52 pm | Permalink

    Hi James,

    What fun I had doing the absurd latte art, the video quality isn’t so good and please mind your neck…..
    or tilt the screen….LoL.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Hr3vk8uvk

    Congrat’s on keeping your blog so lively for past yeras, the video post are genius!

    C u all in Londone 2010

    greetings from the Netherlands
    Friso

    Reply
  25. BL
    Posted July 29, 2009 at 8:16 pm | Permalink

    Ooooo….hope I haven’t missed the deadline….also not really a serious contender, since my pouring is rubbish at the best of times, but I thought I would have a go…
    http://www.tunaslut.com/absurd-latte-art-challenge
    erm…don’t worry i know the url looks dodgy, but it isn’t!

    Reply
  26. Ola Persson
    Posted August 4, 2009 at 3:06 pm | Permalink

    Hi there,
    I hope i’m not too late to enter the competition. Hope you like my video… All the other competitors steamed in a pitcher and then poured the milk into whatever the have choosed to pour with. Not me ….

    // Ola from Sweden

    http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=1311510753&__a=1#/OlaPersson1972?ref=profile

    Reply
  27. Lee Mazur
    Posted August 14, 2009 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    Pour by Lee Mazur

    Filmed and Edited by Al Arundel

    http://vimeo.com/6091360

    Reply
  28. Stephen
    Posted September 13, 2009 at 4:39 pm | Permalink

    Finally uploaded this little clip. Had been playing with it here and there – figured everyone might enjoy this =]

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtcWdumrbAk

    Reply

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  • About the Author

    My name is James Hoffmann, and I am a founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters and was the World Barista Champion in 2007. I continue to write, give talks and consult on many aspects of coffee.

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