The La Marzocco Sessions present Latte Art Lockdown brought latte art savants from all around the world to compete head to head on our Instagram Stories.
Week after week 16 competitors funneled down to the final round, where Karlo Puric and Daniel Soria called a close competition. Karlo won by a 4% difference!
We reached out to Karlo Puric to learn more about his passion for latte art and coffee.
Karlo is from Zagreb, Croatia. He found his passion for coffee shortly after quitting university and returning to work at his family’s kafić, looking to raise business. He looked to the biggest selling product, which was coffee, and began researching and reading anything he can about java. His passion and interest grew, he realized that coffee was endless in themes and knowledge. Still feeling that sensation to this day.
How did you learn and start doing Latte Art?
“I went to a basic barista course here in Zagreb and the barista trainer explained the process, giving me some latte art tips. I threw away so much milk and coffee learning a simple heart design. After about three months I competed in a small latte art competition where I ended up placing 3rd place, which was amazing to me. I began to improve my skills every day and started to get really good with free pour designs.”
When did you first “meet” La Marzocco?
“I first met La Marzocco at World of Coffee 2017 in Budapest, my first ever coffee festival! When I walked into the Roasters Village the number of Linea Minis blew my mind, there were so many vibrant colors. Right there I fell in love, my dream of owning a Linea Mini began.”
Have you participated in other competitions before?
“Yes, I have participated in other competitions but there is one which I will remember for the rest of my life. I competed in the Barista Battle in Ljubljana, Slovenia during Stow Coffe Festival 2019. The prize was my dream home machine, a black Linea Mini.
I was preparing for months, not wanting to lose a chance to win. On that day, 6.10.2018. I won the main prize and that’s where things changed for my coffee career. ”
Photo: Karlo with his prized Linea Mini
Today you can find Karlo running a small roastery and a coffee shop, Four Wheel Coffee Roasters. Brewing on our Linea Classic, ” I hope I won’t stop on just 2 machines because I am looking to open one more shop and get me a new La Marzocco, but things got delayed during this corona pandemic and we also got hit by lots of earthquakes in last 2 months and that what slowed us really down. But I always look on a bright side, together we can get over everything and everyone will get a chance for a fresh new start with lots of opportunities.”
Congrats to our Latte Art Champion, we applaud his dedication and passion for life.
Follow Karlo on Instagram, and make sure to tune into ours for more fun and interactive events with The La Marzocco Sessions.