By Ann Peru Knabe, Special to OnMilwaukee.com   Published Feb 15, 2015 at 4:26 PM

With only two years experience "pulling shots" of espresso at Stone Creek Coffee, T. Benjamin Fischer is heading to the U.S. Coffee Championships in Long Beach, Calif. 

The 24-year-old barista, who goes by T. Ben, rehearsed for the big show Friday night at the Stone Creek "factory store" located at 422 N. 5th St. As 45 spectators and four judges watched, T. Ben ran through his demonstration, an elaborate ritual lasting precisely half an hour.

The first 15 minutes of a barista presentation involves set-up as technical judges evaluate the competitor’s preparation techniques. During this time, baristas "dial in" their espresso, calibrating the time and temperature for the perfectly flavored shot. But it’s the second half of the demo that garners the most attention when the barista presents four judges with individual espressos, cappuccinos and a signature drink.

"That’s 12 drinks in 15 minutes," explains Fischer. "And the entire time you are talking about your presentation, explaining how you developed your recipe, what inspires you and your presentation theme."

Fischer’s 2015 competition theme is "Taste Perception." His signature drink features espresso from Costa Rican coffee spiked with juice from caramelized fruit sizzled with a butane torch in front of the spectators. He developed the recipe after reading dozens of scholarly articles on taste sensations on the tongue and experimenting with different coffee beans and espresso temperatures.

Last November, Fischer placed third in the Big Central Regional Barista Competition held in Minneapolis, making him eligible to compete in the national competition. For the last two months, he’s been refining his technique and recipe practicing between two to 12 hours a day. As he explains, "I’ve poured hundreds of cappuccinos preparing for this."

In the end, Fischer hopes the flavors "sing harmoniously" on the judges’ palates. Milwaukee fans can watch the competition live online at http://uscoffeechampionships.org/watch/

Fischer is scheduled to present at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, Feb. 20.