MILLENNIUM PARK - MILLENNIUM PARK BARISTA OF THE MONTH

Jason Rebelloso is the Millennium Park Café Barista of the Month for January/February 2008.  Jason is a shift lead and has been working for Intelligentsia for about a year and a half.  

Growing up, coffee was always a big part of Jason’s family.  After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and found that the organization, as it happens, completely runs on coffee.  When he got out of the Navy and started school, he knew he wanted to work as a Barista and he spent some time at another café before a fellow employee gave him the heads up on Intelligentsia.  

Jason’s favorite drink to make is a latte.  “Nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction when I nail a good looking rosetta and the whistles and cheers (in my head) when I set it on the bar.”  As far as his favorite drink to drink, Jason’s split between a cup of coffee from the Clover machine and a double Cortado.  “The former is perfect when I have the chance to sit down and really enjoy it, but the latter is probably responsible for my good grades in school.”

While Jason doesn’t have a whole lot of spare time these days, when he’s not working he’s, “studying towards my computer engineering degree (last semester), working on my senior design project which involves working with disabled people, and spending quality time with my wife.”  When his spare time allows him to have a little fun, Jason enjoys playing games.  “Lots of games.  Computer, console, board, card, and just about any other type of game I can get my hands on.”

About working at Intelligentsia and being a Barista Jason says, “I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned here is how to really enjoy coffee.  That is, doing away with all of the additives and picking out the natural sweetness, flavor, and finishing notes that our coffee and espresso have.”