Matthew Song
Canada National Barista Championship 2026 · Calgary, Canada · Canada
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Matthew Song's Canada National Barista Championship performance traces his childhood dream of moving people through song into a coffee journey rooted in community and harmony. Using a natural Ethiopian heirloom-variety coffee from Sidamo, he frames espresso as the seed of a rediscovered dream, milk as harmony learned through his living-room coffee community, and a tomato-evoking signature drink as the transformation born from honest feedback, encouragement, and customer support.
Theme
Childhood dream of creating something meaningful through coffee, journey from solo barista to community builder
Highlights
- · Opened with childhood story of watching a singer move someone to tears, sparking his dream to create meaningful impact through what he loves
- · Used Ethiopian natural coffee as a metaphor for rediscovering a forgotten pure dream
- · Milk course used lactose-free milk concentrated through freeze-distillation in two consistencies blended 6:4: 70% water removed for deeper sweetness, 55% removed for smoother texture
- · Built a coffee community starting in his own living room, illustrating his shift from solo journey to harmony with others
- · Signature drink reframed feedback, encouragement, and customer support as three transformative voices that synergize into one
Performance Breakdown
Espresso Course
Heirloom
- Dose
- 20g in, 38g out
- Preparation
- Roast designed with low heat and 1 minute 30 seconds development time to soften acidity and highlight sweetness; longer extraction time (38 seconds) used to draw sweetness from the dense high-altitude beans
Flavor Descriptors
Tactile / Mouthfeel
Stir back and forth three times with the spoon on the right, then return the spoon to the cup; read the card in front of you while the espresso extracts
Milk Beverage Course
Heirloom
- Milk
- Lactose-free milk concentrated through freeze-distillation in two consistencies: 70% water removed for deeper sweetness and 55% water removed for smoother texture
- Dose
- 1:3 ratio, milk steamed to 50°C
- Ratio
- 6:4 (6 parts 70%-reduced milk to 4 parts 55%-reduced milk)
- Steam Temp
- 50°C
- Milk Prep
- Lactose-free milk concentrated through freeze-distillation; reducing water content increases the concentration of fat, protein, and sugar — blended 6:4, with 70% water removed for deeper sweetness and 55% removed for smoother texture
Flavor Descriptors
Tactile / Mouthfeel
No need to stir — just enjoy it
Signature Beverage Course
Three Voices
Heirloom
- Served
- Chilled, served at 15°C in one cup for flavor clarity
- Concept
- Three 'voices' from his coffee journey — honest feedback, sweet encouragement, and loyal customer support — blended into one transformed drink that evokes cherry tomato
Ingredients & Layers
Citrus juice (first voice — honest feedback)
12 parts orange to 1 part lemon, pulp slowly filtered out at 2°C
White sugar (second voice — encouragement)
White sugar
Fresh almond milk (third voice — loyal customers)
1 part almond soaked in water for one day, blended with 3 parts water, filtered through a paper filter for one hour
Flavor Descriptors
Please wait until time is called before tasting; afterwards, enjoy it however you like
Full Transcript
A word marked like this? (transcription uncertain) is one we’re not fully sure was heard correctly in the recording — play the audio to check it yourself.
Introduction
When I was little, I was just an ordinary boy, a little shy, and I loved singing. When I came home from school, I would go into my room, turn up the music, and sing by myself. I used to watch singers on TV and dream like many little boys do. One day, while I was watching one of my favorite singers perform, the camera turned to the audience, and I saw one woman wiping away her tears. And that certain moment left a strong impression on me. I was amazed that one song could reach someone's heart so deeply.
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