The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

A professional who is highly skilled in coffee preparation. In Italy, a barista is a bartender who typically works behind a counter serving drinks.

An older reference to this position was called an espresso puller when extracting a shot of espresso, which consisted of pulling on a large handle with a  lot of force, forcing the hot water through the coffee grind to produce a shot. The time varied according to how long the operator pulled on the handle. With boilers and precise timers, the large handle was replaced with a button that could be timed to the exact shot time. The less elegant term was also replaced and the term became more common with the starbucks revolution of the early ’90s.

Both terms are correct for someone working an espresso bar.

Barista Amy York working her bar at Prado Cafe