Sammy Piccolo, Canadian Barista Champion

Sammy had an amazing command of the audience, the judges and his coffee. His espresso blend contained the only washed coffee from Papua New Guinea, Australian mountaintop coffee, Ethiopian longberry Harrar and two different varieties of Brazil. His signature beverage (called Synergy) involved steeping cardamom in steamed milk, fresh mango puree and bittersweet chocolate whisked together, and having the judges chew a salted orange before they drank his beverage. The cool thing about it, he said, is that the espresso rose to the top of the drink.

Sammy and his brother Vince just opened a roasting business in British Columbia, Canada. This was Sammy's third appearance at the World Barista Championship. He came in second and third in his previous performances, and came in second again this year.