Victor Vu shares his latte art take on a Spartan Warrior that inspires baristas to overcome any challenge ahead of them.
To me, the Spartan warrior conveys strength, bravery, and power, three things I think a lot of us have needed over the past year and a half. That’s why I really wanted to share my take on the iconic soldier at the 2020 Australian Latte Art Championships.
I first created this design almost two years ago now, but over time, have refined it to appear more life-like and realistic, as well as to showcase more technique and ability.
Spartan helmets have become well known for their feathery crest, looking similar to a mohawk, which was probably meant to intimidate enemies in Ancient Greece. In our design, instead of frightening, it amazes, offering a cool focal point that takes a lot of skill to pull off.
The very long rosetta-style pour has about 27 leaves and requires a steady hand to execute correctly and appealingly.
That is only one of several challenges to this design. Perhaps the most difficult is the helmet itself. I essentially perform steps four to eight in a single pour, leaving little room for error. You could try breaking up the steps and pours, but you won’t achieve the same result in the cup.
So, like the Spartan Warrior who never gives up, keep working on this design until you can achieve your goal.
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This article appears in the August 2021 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
Victor Vu’s Spartan Warrior
Step 1
Build your base with the handle at three o’clock.
Step 2
Beginning from just left of the top of the cup, pour a long 27-leaf rosetta clockwise along the edge until about four o’clock.
Step 3
To the left of where you ended, pour a short six-leaf rosetta, then left of that a four-leaf rosetta. At the end, pull through with a short line on the left side of the rosetta.
Step 4
From the starting tip of your first rosetta, pour a seven leaf rosetta, pointing towards the end of that first rosetta, to complete the helmet decorations.
Step 5
From the end of that rosetta, in the same movement, drag a line up along the rosetta to the top of the cup, then another line to about eight o’clock.
Step 6
Pull another short line directly up, then diagonal stopping just before toughing the left short rosetta.
Step 7
Continue pouring the line slightly down, up diagonally to the left again, then straight down again stopping before the edge of the cup.
Step 8
Finish off by pouring a line connecting this point with the bottom of the two small rosettas.
