The Barista Friend Podcast

Miranda brews a pot of earl grey tea for Jake Ames of Good Looks and the Stacks ! If you know Jake, you love Jake. He's an Austin musician with a big personality and an even bigger heart. You can catch him shredding lead guitar on tour with Good Looks or singing his heart songs with The Stacks and his new project, Knife Channel. In this episode, we talk about tea, growing up in Kerrville, the...

A definitive guide for coffee shop newbies. Quit your Starbucks habit for good and visit a local cafe! In this episode, Miranda teaches you about all the typical drinks on a cafe menu, from espresso to latte and everything in-between. Then, she'll teach you how to order your coffee like a pro. You could be your barista's new favorite customer! Wouldn't that be GRAND!? For coffee classe...

Miranda makes a whole milk hot latte for graphic designer, Henry Smith! Henry is the brilliant mind behind the aesthetic design of Barista Friend. He's a talented visual and culinary artist and manages the design lab at the University of Texas, including the Rob Roy Kelly collection. In this episode, we talk about design, Henry's approach to the food pop-up, and creating your own opportunities. Th...

Miranda brews a couple of decaf pour-overs for Carolina Chauffe of hemlock!!! hemlock is the ongoing folk experiment of Louisiana-born multi-disciplinary artist and independent musician  Carolina Chauffe and various rotating collaborators (2018-present). Her music is a heart archive, erring on the side of the earnest, imperfect, prolific, with tender finger-picking and sun-glinted harmonies. Her s...

Get grounded and energized for your next barista shift with this short guided meditation! This is a little taste of my daily meditation practice, just for you. Note: I am not a certified meditation teacher! Just a professional barista who believes in love and compassion. I hope this helps you show up 100% to your next shift!

Miranda makes two iced honey lattes for the sweeties of Felt Out! Felt Out is the ongoing creative exploration of Sowmya Somanath and Walter Nichols. Their sound is genre-defying and expansive, drawing inspiration from classical composers, the natural world, and modern pop music. They are recent recipients of the Austin Live Music Fund and are currently working on a theatrical production. The Bari...

Miranda makes a whole milk (!!!) latte for singer/songwriter Jane Ellen Bryant. Jane is an Austin-based musician and one half of the pop duo Jane Leo . She has a degree in vocal performance with an emphasis on music business from Belmont University. She's the winner of the "Best New Band" and "Best Female Vocalist" at the Austin Music Awards, has toured the country, played ACL and Bottlerock music...

Miranda dials in an espresso recipe for (with?) the legendary Jak Michael Ryan of Proud Mary Coffee . Besides being the global coffee lead for one of the world's most boundary-pushing (literally) roasting companies, Jak is a competitive ballroom dancer, boxer, and barista champion. His approach to coffee is simple science, and his passion for stand-out hospitality is palpable. In this episode, we...

Miranda makes a flash-brewed iced coffee with coconut syrup for the very lovely Lindy ( ⁠@dodgygrl⁠ ). Lindy is a freelance makeup artist based in Austin. She co-founded the popular social media account @dupethat and currently works on local projects for music, film, and television. In this episode, we make a flash brew (iced pour-over) with a tasty DIY toasted coconut syrup. Lindy and Miranda cha...

Miranda brews a kooky watermelon co-ferment for Austin's sweetest, busiest pedal steel player, Mr. Zack Wiggs! Zack Wiggs is a multi-talented musician from Lake Jackson, TX. You can hear him rip the pedal steel guitar in several local projects, including the Oh Hellos , Brody Price , Pelvis Wrestley , and Harry and Emmy . Most recently, Zack won a 2024 Austin Music Award for Best Miscellaneous Ins...

Miranda makes a fruit-forward hot americano for Thom Waddill of Font!!! Font is a post-punk band based in Austin, TX, and coincidentally, some of my very best friends! Thom Waddill and Jack Owens began writing the music that would become Font in late 2020. They started playing live shows in 2022 to rave reviews and huge crowds of dancing bodies. This week, they head out on a West Coast tour suppor...

Hey, I'm Miranda! In the first episode of my first official podcast, I spill the beans about my background in theater and music, how I got my first barista job, why I fell in love with coffee, and all the steps I took in the last eight years that resulted in me starting my own coffee training business in 2023. The Barista Friend podcast is like eavesdropping on the barista having an interesting co...