Anyone with the Instagram handle nah_ima_stay, is someone we’re following. And barista, Geo Navarette doesn’t disappoint. We caught up with Geo (over an espresso of course) to find out more about the artist behind the espresso machine.
editors update: Since this article Geo has moved to Retrograde coffee.
Q: What is your title?
A: I am the Barista Trainer, Coffee Educator, and Consultant for Honest Coffee. And also a barista competitor. Coffee isn’t just ajob: it’s my lifestyle.
Q: How did you get into coffee?
A: I got my start in coffee in the Summer of 2011. I was 21. I was a skatepark kid. (Note: “Being a skatepark kid” is Geo’s humble way of mentioning that he was a sponsored rollerblader from 18 to 21.) I had just come back from college, and Ineeded to find a job that fit my lifestyle, so I got a job working at The Bongo Java in Rocket Town. What better place than ata venue with a skatepark!
Q: What do you love so much about coffee? And how is it a lifestyle for you?
A: I was at Bongo Java for four years and really dove into the world of coffee. More here?
Q: How did you get into competitions? ‘
A: In the fall of 2015 I heard about a small throwdown (a low-stakes competition where local baristas have 2 minutes and 30seconds to produce a “free-pour” latte where milk is poured directly from the pitcher to make art, without the use of things likestencils or needles.) happening at Crema. I signed up and made it to the 2nd round before getting eliminated. That’s where Igot my first taste.
Q: And hows that going now…?
A: I compete a lot. Most recently in the 2023 Coffee Fest in Anaheim, California, where I came in 3rd place at the Latte Art World’s Championship Open. My favorite thing about competing is the people I compete against. The coffee communityhelps each other. Competing requires a ton of travel. Some of us can get our expenses covered, but generally a bunch of us willbunk together and live in a big AirBnB like it’s the Real World. When you’re competing, you’re playing a head-game withyourself, On one hand, you’re doing something you love, and something you do every day – it should be easy. Then you have300 people staring at you, and everything changes.
Q: What’s your role at Honest Coffee?
A: I’m a barista, educator, and QC tester for the roaster. I love the community in the cafe. I love my regulars. It’s my job to puta smile on your face (and maybe a doodle on your cup), but it always puts a smile on my face to see my regulars just by havingthem come in. I’m a barista at heart. I take pride in it.
Q: And in your spare time?
A: I stay sharp by visiting as many 3rd wave shops as I can (he estimates that he’s been to over 200 in his time travelingfor coffee) and exploring styles of coffee that don’t make sense in commercial settings. At home, I get to be more nerdy aboutblack coffee. I know I can make lattes and stuff, but I love the nuance between different origins of beans. What is a 3rd wave shop?
Q: How do you shake off all the caffeine?
A: I still skate. I also took up cycling – I did a century 3 years ago. Oh, and I love karaoke.
Q: Any tips for home baristas?
A: Predictably, it all starts with the beans. People think that buying the freshest beans at the store is the most important, butreally a bag of coffee beans is best about 2 weeks after roasting. After roasting, gas escapes from the coffee beans (which is whatmakes them crackle during and after the roasting process). This gas needs about 2 weeks to fully escape, otherwise it can causeoff flavors in the cup.
Get a grinder. It makes your beans last longer, and you can adjust your coffee as you go.
And maybe most importantly for Tennesseans, get a good water filter. dTennessee water is pretty hard, and can add some prettywild flavors to your coffee.
Follow Geo on instagram at @nah_ima_stay
