Coffee was first turned into visual art a few decades ago in Italy, the birthplace of the popular milk-based espresso drinks, but the credit for making latte art mainstream belongs to US coffee shops. Cups of coffee decorated with patterns were popularised in the US in the late 1980s and early 1990s and soon began their spread around the world.

In the 2000s latte art also reached Australia and the Nordic countries. Today, the biggest boom is taking place in Asia, with Asian baristas doing particularly well at world championships for latte art. ”Asian baristas have a really strong work ethic, and they’re persistent and motivated to get to the top,” says barista instructor Kolpaktsi.

According to Kolpaktsi, the popularity of latte art has grown hand in hand with consumers’ overall increase in coffee awareness. Today’s consumers have learned to insist on quality in coffee.

”A great-tasting drink that’s delivered fast and has good pattern definition is a sign of a professional barista who values their work, ingredients and customers,” Kolpaktsi says.

The rise of social media is also bound to have played a role in making latte art a worldwide phenomenon. There is now a much bigger focus on drink presentation as customers love sharing pictures of beautiful cups of coffee online.

There are almost three million Instagram posts with the hashtag #latteart, and on YouTube the most popular latte art videos have been viewed almost five million times. Barista championship winners gain popularity in social media and inspire other baristas around the world.