Jolly Cow is the Official Milk Sponsor for 2nd Philippine National Barista Challenge

Coffee is best with milk. The creamier the milk, the better. And the milk quality has to be the right kind that provides enough sweetness for really good coffee. I should know. My wife and I are now coffee drinkers. It took us a while as we only started drinking coffee when we visited the coffee country, Vietnam in 2012. There was no going back for the both of us. But I have to say, we are picky with our coffee. We discriminate, it must've something to do with our being late bloomers.

Incidentally, Jolly Cow has been one of the well-loved milk brands of coffee baristas in the country for its high quality milk froth which produces a distinctly creamy taste, complementing every cup of coffee. Allegro Beverage Corporation, organizer of the 2nd Philippine National Barista Challenge, has chosen Jolly Cow to be its Official Milk brand.

President and General Manager of Allegro Beverage Corporation Leo de Leon and Jolly Cow Senior Product Associate Ersanti Regi Santos discussed the qualities of a good cup of coffee while Kevin Israel Fortu, the reigning Philippine National Barista Champion, and Jonathan Choi, Champion of 8th Philippine Grand Barista Cup, demonstrated latte art using Jolly Cow during a roundtable discussion held Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at the Allegro Beverage Corporation headquarters.

Jolly Cow is among the first brands developed by Fly Ace Corporation as the company began its venture into private labeling in 1997. Jolly Cow is Ultra Heat Treated milk which means it was heated to a temperature of at least 135C in order to kill any harmful micro-organisms which may be present in the milk. It also lengthens its shelf life to 1 year.

Sourced from Germany, Jolly Cow has two variants: Fresh Milk and Non-Fat Milk. Jolly Cow Fresh Milk has 3.5% butterfat content which is the highest in the market. This is what makes Jolly Cow creamier and ideal for coffee art. Meanwhile, for those who want to go easy on the milk, Jolly Cow Non Fat Milk contains only 0.3% of butterfat.

Allegro Beverage Corporation is one of the leading providers of complete beverage solutions. On top of distributing the finest espresso equipment and brewers, Allegro also offers coffee beans, gourmet syrups and sauces, and teas. As the official organizers of the 2nd Philippine National Barista Championships, they bring in a wealth of experience and knowledge in the coffee industry.

The 2nd Philippine National Barista Championship is the most prestigious barista competition in the country as it is the only one sanctioned by World Coffee Events, organizers of the World Barista Competition. The event aims to showcase the art and skill of espresso making and service. Competitors will be required to prepare four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four original espresso-based signature drinks.

This prestigious competition will gather some of the best baristas in the country. Thirty participants will battle it out in the preliminary rounds on October 15 to 16 at Treston International College. The culmination for the top 6 finalists will be on October 17 at Resorts World Manila Atrium. The winner will represent the country in the 2015 World Barista Championship to be held in the Seattle, USA.