COFFEE BREWING IN the past would conjure images of elderly men clad in white Pagoda singlets at the rear section of kopitiams pouring cups of dark fragrant liquid through long stocking-like sieves from big tin mugs. While this scenario is still a common sight in Penang, coffee making in this day and age has become much more sophisticated.
The café culture in Penang, which took off in the late 2000s has grown in tandem with the global coffee industry. Baristas are one of its major pushers, being intermediaries between the coffee industry and consumers of the café culture.
The Barista
The café culture has captured the imagination of urban society today, especially among the young. Although too untypical to be considered a professional career when compared to other vocations in Malaysia, a significant number of young people are becoming baristas in cafés in George Town and at coffee-related events. Being a barista is glamorous because it is one of the few jobs in the food and beverage industry with competition opportunities.
