Victor Vu spreads his wings with a classic mythical symbol to kick-start the year.
Like a phoenix rises from the ashes, I think 2022 will be a year of hope and revival for our special coffee community.
Lockdowns are – hopefully – in the past and we can get back to business, serving amazing coffee to the people.
For this edition, I chose to highlight my phoenix design, one of my first latte art patterns that has gone through many lives and iterations over the years. This pattern is a good turning point in your latte art journey, taking the skills you’ve built in the café up to the next level to create something more detailed and complex.
The beauty of this pattern, aside from its aesthetics, is that it’s produced using the same simply techniques you’d use for beginner latte art designs like the swan, but with a bit more detail and finesse.
You’ll need a good handle of the basic techniques to perform this pattern. Swaying and pulling builds the body of the phoenix while carefully poured and places rosetta motions create its wings and features. A small drag creates the neck with a small heart forming the head. These features combine to create the iconic mythic bird, a symbol of rebirth, healing, and good luck.
The last point, good luck, is what I hope this design provides to you in the year ahead, as well as myself as I prepare for the World Latte Art Championship in June at World of Coffee in Poland.
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This article appears in the February 2022 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
Victor Vu’s Phoenix
Step 1
Build your base and with the handle at three o’clock, pour a wide three-leaf rosetta and pull through the middle to create the body.
Step 2
Along the right side of the body, pour a curving 14-leaf rosetta and pull back through the inside of the rosetta.
Step 3
Pour a parallel rosetta on the left side of the body.
Step 4
On top of the right rosetta wing, pour a five-leaf rosetta pointing upwards and pull through towards the centre of the cup.
Step 5
Pour a parallel small rosetta above the left wing.
Step 6
At the top of the cup, drag a small line while swaying to create the phoenix’s crest.
Step 7
From the centre of the cup, drag a slightly curved line up towards this crest.
Step 8
Pour a small heart to form the head and cut through like you would in a swan pattern.
