PHOTOS: Fortuna Favors the Bold at Latte Art Throwdown

It had been a while since any of us had been to a throwdown, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

The throwdowns that existed in my memory were raucous, surprisingly heated events in which usually shy and reserved baristas morphed into ruthless competitors, surrounded by throngs of people eagerly anticipating judges’ picks at each round. Think Fight Club, but with atomized steamed milk and espresso hanging in the air rather than blood and sweat. This memory, however, I was certain was a highly-romanticized product of my very active imagination.

So when we got invited to check out the first big throwdown of 2025 in central North Carolina at Fortuna Enterprises in Greensboro, I tried my best to come back to Earth and temper my expectations. There was no way these things were as intense as I remembered, I thought to myself.

As it turns out, this is one time I could trust my memory. Things got very real very quickly.

The January 9, 2025 Fortuna Enterprises Latte Art Throwdown was held at the company’s headquarters in Greensboro, NC. Organized by Fortuna’s Director of Coffee Programs Reiko Piekarski, the event was a well-organized affair complete with video monitors for the competition, a graphics package made just for the occasion, and a $1,000 top prize. No wonder things got so intense.

Reiko Piekarski, with everything firmly under control.

Piekarski put her own spin on the event, mixing up the challenges in each round. From freestyle pours in the first and final rounds, to the equally beloved and loathed art dice, to a “make latte art in a random object” challenge, the throwdown had the perfect balance of heated competition and adorable silliness that makes these things so dang fun.

In the end, Tim Morris of Durham, NC emerged as the overall winner. We’d like to congratulate Tim on his victory, as well as all of the other contestants of the night. Winning — or even competing — in such a talented field of coffee pros is a real feat.

But we’d also like to speak, for just a moment, to the true spirit of the latte art throwdown and its place in coffee culture, because the competition is only one part of events like these.

It was announced that people had traveled as far as four hours to come to Greensboro on an absolutely frigid Thursday night. Piekarski and the event’s emcees made certain that everyone in attendance got to rep their coffee business. With the added magic of free food and adult beverages, the vibe was just as warm inside as the air was cold outside.

Where my memory did fall short was in remembering the other side of these events — that despite being ostensibly centered around a competition, throwdowns are just as much about bringing coffee people together and celebrating the community.

Yes, there were dozens of people gunning for that top prize. And yes, I did see someone drink a latte out of a conch shell. But I also saw countless people reunite with old friends and acquaintances and make new ones. I also saw people share in the joy of victory and the heartbreak of defeat with their fellow coffee folks, even if they were complete strangers a few hours ago.

We laughed. We cried. We drank far too much espresso for 8:30 PM on a school night.

It was amazing, just as I remembered.