Inside the battle for Starbucks' coffee-making crown

Every second counts. Points are at stake.

- Heather Haddon

Controversies are brewing: Should anaerobic processing be allowed? How about yeast fermentation?There are even pundits. On the "Golden Brown Coffee" YouTube channel last year, the hosts dissected the one-point win by Mikael Jasin of Indonesia over Australian Jack Simpson in what they dubbed "the most controversial World Barista Championship ever."

While Jasin adopted a competitive barista circuit, where coffee reputations are made and destroyed in 15-minute routines. Events that began around 2000 have mushroomed into cutthroat competitions grading everything from espresso shots to bespoke beverages "day spa routine" with his flowing beige attire and references to the body and soul of coffee, Simpson went high-tech. He treated his espresso with "ultralow frequency magnetic waves" and anaerobic fermentation for 150 hours "followed by a thermal shock."

"That's insane," said one of the hosts about the tiny margin between completely different routines.

Now, the company that made craft coffee mainstream wants in on the action. Starbucks is holding a global competition exclusively among its baristas to showcase their skills and pump up the brand. The coffee giant has held regional contests for around a decade, but now it wants to crown its own world champ.

In Las Vegas this month, tension was high after 84,000 entrants were winnowed down to 12 contestants who sought to dazzle clipboard-toting judges with decades of coffee know-how. Hosts narrated the moves for cheering audience members.

"We've just seen the most beautiful rosetta from Sumayya. That was gorgeous," said one of the semifinal hosts, Laurence Unsworth, wearing a green and blue sequin jacket.