Who we are....

The Barista Guild of America has been active since its inception in the summer of 2003. When the BGA first applied to the SCAA Board of Directors for recognition as an official trade guild of the Association, there were those who doubted the longevity of our fledgling Guild. It's not necessarily intuitive that a grassroots organization which intends to weather the winds of change requires a solid infrastructure built on a foundation that will last the tests of time. During the BGA's first several years, the Executive Council spent the vast majority of their time ratifying the Barista Guild of America's administrative structure, and the bylaws by which the BGA's members and administrative officers would be held accountable. As a member-run Guild, all BGA members are entitled to access to the Barista Guild of America Bylaws which you may access by clicking here.

You may ask: "Why should I become a Barista Guild of America member?" Well, the benefits of membership are numerous and various in sundry. Click here to learn more about all of the financial benefits of BGA membership.

You might be thinking to yourself: "Okay, I'm convinced. Becoming a BGA member is about the best thing in the world I can do for my coffee soul. How to I join?" I'm happy to tell you that membership is only a few clicks (and possibly prints, scribblings and postages) away. Click here for the on-line BGA Membership Application. No foolin', you'll be glad that you did.

Finally, you may have heard the words "Barista Jam" thrown around the specialty coffee community over the past few years. A "Barista Jam" is simply an occasion where two or more baristas gather in the same place to share knowledge and technique associated with the barista craft. Usually, Barista Jams which gain some semblance of notoriety are those that provide enough resources (i.e. equipment, materials, supplies, etc.) to host a significant number of baristas (10 or more, for example,) so that the event can be a community-building affair betwixt different coffee companies as well as a pow-wow amongst fellow employees of a single business. For those baristas who might be interested in producing such an event, but have little or no idea of how to go about the planning process, the BGA offers the opportunity to have a Barista Jam sanctioned, meaning that, for a small fee, an SCAA event planner will assist one in locating the resources and properly gathering the necessities for producing a BGA Sanctioned Regional Jam. Please click here for more info on hosting a BGA Sanctioned Regional Jam.