New Zealand prides itself on its cafe culture and these days that means more than just a good flat white.
And on Thursday night was the fight between the crema of the crop -- the baristas who are turning lattes into art.
Not every barista draws this kind of crowd, but this is not your average cup of joe. It's what's known as a latte art throwdown.
Thirty-two top baristas went head-to-head in a contest where every cup of coffee is a canvas.
"I actually think, like a good chef, it's pride in presentation and what you do, and pride in product," says Masako Yamamoto, Atomic Coffee specialist.
"So I think it's quite important. You wouldn't just throw your food on a plate."
The annual Atomic Coffee Throwdown attracts some of Auckland's best baristas, with $1000 cash on the line for the winner.
But in order to secure it they'll need to please the judges, who expect more than art -- this is a science.
"We look at the position of the pattern in the cup, whether it has a nice 360 degree of crema, whether that crema is in high contrast to the white of the milk, the sheen of the milk, the texture of the milk, the difficulty of the pour that they've made," Ms Yamamoto says.
It's a contest the competitors take very seriously. One barista lined up five hours early just to get a spot in the knockout rounds.
And after 60 cups of coffee, it would come down to two -- but only one could be crowned coffee queen.
"[I was] kind of surprised, [I] wasn't really expecting it," winner Isabella Brown says.
"I went from knowing absolutely nothing to where I am today in about two years. So it's a good feeling."
She shouldn't be so surprised -- when it comes to coffee, the crema always rises to the top.
Newshub.
