Main event
9th Annual Holiday Throwdown
The traditional bracket and the holiday party, nine years running. Latte Artist enters the bracket. General Admission gets you in to watch, cheer and stay for the party.
Full detailsLatte Art Throwdowns
ESOM · Latte Art Circuit
LATTE ART. HEAD TO HEAD.
National throwdowns where baristas compete, audiences gather, and coffee culture moves forward.
Enter the CircuitUp Next · Holiday Party
9th Annual Holiday Throwdown
December 17 + 18, 2026Château Le Woof, Queens
Our holiday party, nine years running. Academy Day classes and the brewing competition on Thursday, cup tasters and the latte art bracket on Friday.
- Academy Day
- Brewing Comp
- Cup Tasters
- Latte Art Bracket
- Bites + Drinks
Seats and bracket spots are limited.
Holiday Party
Compete
Upcoming Events
Lock in your spot in the bracket. Tickets go straight to your cart.
ESOM Latte Art Throwdowns
Ten years of head-to-head pours.
Our latte art throwdowns turn the craft into a live event. Two baristas pour side by side, the judges pick a cup, and the winner moves on until one is left standing. Brackets are open to first-timers and seasoned competitors alike, and every night fills the room with baristas, café owners and coffee fans cheering on every pour, from New York to Coffee Fest stages across the country.
Enter the CircuitHOW IT WORKS
01
Qualify
Open sign-up. Brackets seat 32 or 64 baristas, and first-timers are welcome.
02
Battle
One on one, single elimination. Two baristas pour, the judges pick a cup, and the winner moves on.
03
The title
The final four pour for first and second, with a redemption match for third. Prize pools run from $500 to $2,000.
BRANDS: THIS CROWD IS YOURS TO MEET
The Academy
Latte Art Workshops
Steam|Texture|Pour|Repeat
Get behind a professional machine with the crew that runs the national circuit. Small groups, real bar conditions — milk chemistry, pour mechanics, and the reps that make rosettas repeatable.
Presenting partners
Tenzo + Planet Oat
New York vs The World Returns
March 9, 2026 at EDEN, New York. The city's best poured against competitors from around the world, with a DJ, a full bar menu and both brands on the floor all night.
64 baristas · $2,000 prize pool · streamed worldwide
Title partner
Planet Oat
The Planet Oat 2v2
October 3, 2026 at Post BK, Brooklyn. An all plant-based bracket where partners pour one cup each, in two different patterns, judged as a set.
16 teams · 32 baristas · $1,000 to the winning team
Host partner
Café Grumpy
The Café Grumpy Throwdown
February 13, 2026 in Midtown Manhattan. First stop of The City That Never Sleeps circuit, streamed live from the first pour to the final.
64 baristas · $1,000 prize pool · Champion: Christopher Martinez
Trade show partner
Coffee Fest
Coffee Fest Throwdowns
The bracket moves onto the trade show floor in New York and Los Angeles, in front of roasters, equipment teams and café operators.
Coffee Fest New York · Coffee Fest Los Angeles