274 : Crafting Specialty Drinks in your Shop w/ Matt Foster

U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits champion Matt Foster is here to guide you to specialty drink success! 

We all want to have a menu that includes unique signature beverages that we love making and customers love drinking. Trouble is, making creative specialty drinks that in your shop that are delicious, practical, AND profitable is not an easy task. It requires intentionality, knowledge of ingredients, and discipline to consider all the areas of the business you menu will impact. 

As we set our sights on future seasonal and signature drink menu plans I thought it would be great to have the specialty beverage champion himself, Matt Foster of The Annex - Coffee and Foods in St. Louis !

Matt is a long time specialty coffee pro whose fascination with beverages and coffee started at an early age even before becoming a bartender and barista. On top of being a barista he was also the wholesale trainer for Kaldis Coffee in St. Louis and is now the FOH - and Beverage Manager for The Annex - Coffee and Foods.  In 2019 Matt won the U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship, a competition combining his two favorite things - coffee and cocktails. Obviously Matt has a deep knowledge of both these areas and knows what it takes to be successful when creating a menu. 

In this episode we dive into a ton of practical information, best practices, and advice that will not only help you create and execute a successful menu, but help you strengthen your team and community in the process. 

We cover: 

• Early career and inspiration
• Competition shaping creativity
• Finding yourself and authentic expression through creativity
• Meeting people where they are while expressing yourself
• Difference between barista work and bartending work
• Depth vs breadth of knowledge
• Bridging the gap between industries
• The most common hurdles to making great creative drinks
• First steps and considerations to implement a great menu
• Workflow considerations and keeping it practical
• How to propose new drinks to your boss
• What Matt’s perspective on what we need to be focusing on right now in the industry to be inclusive and find common ground. 

Links:

Matt's Instagram

The Annex - Coffee and Tea

 

Related Episodes:

117 : Coffee and Cocktails w/ Amanda Whitt

002: Master Your Workflow w/ Ryan Soeder

163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Little Field

031 : Essential Advice for New Baristas : Tips to help you successfully navigate and thrive in your new coffee career

 

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