– Can you please introduce yourself in a few words.
Jai Lott – Coffee Director for Bluestone Lane New York’s 9 locations.
– What’s your story in the coffee industry?
I have been in the industry for over 13 year as a manager, owner and teacher. My wife and I left Australia last year to start work with Bluestone Lane and their fast growing company in New York.
– What’s your specialty and what makes you different?
Teaching espresso fundamentals would be my strongest point. I don’t teach trends but a more broad perspective of what I have learnt from different people over the years and I believe is effective.
– What was your first coffee experience?
2 sugars in a Vanilla Latte at the first place I ever worked at. I hated coffee and refused to learn, but once I gave in Its been love ever since.
– What was your best coffee experience?
Hosting a Latte Art competition last year with Dritan Alsela was pretty great!
– Do you prepare coffee at home ? If yes, what method do you use?
I do. I have a few tools but my favorite is an old La Pavoni lever machine. 21 in, 18 out, 22 seconds.
– How do you like your coffee? Black, sugar and milk, iced, vietnamese style,…?
A short long black is my go-to (a ‘shlong’)
– How would you qualify yourself as coffee drinker (occasional, heavy, addict…)?
Funnily enough just one a day where possible. Sometimes it gets a little heavier.
– Have you always been into the coffee industry? If not, what was your previous job?
My first year out of school I did landscaping and hated it. I have been in hospitality ever since, but only specialty coffee for 7 years.
– Do you have another passion or a hobby besides coffee?
The ocean. Bodyboarding has always been my extra curricular past time since i was 13. I always lived by the ocean in a town called Noosa in Australia. Being in New York permanently makes it a little harder, but whenever possible I get in the water.
– What other place would you recommend, anywhere in the world (coffee or not)?
My home town of Noosa. Its paradise and possibly has the best coffee per capita of anywhere I know of.
– What is/are your favorite website(s) to get information about coffee?
Barista Hustle. Anything Matt Perger writes I look at pretty seriously.
– What would you say to people who don’t know much about coffee?
Its a rabbit hole worth going down