You’re in the best hands in the coffee industry…

The International Barista & Coffee Academy (IBCA) was founded by SCA Diploma holder and world renowned coffee expert, Patrick O’Malley, and was the first SCA authorized training center in the Americas. Our primary training center is located in Tempe, Arizona in our SCA certified coffee laboratory, one of 31 in the world. It is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and supplies for you to have an exceptional, hands-on learning experience on your journey to SCA certification. The facility is home to our professional coffee roasting company, Espresso Italia, and our cafe, Infusion Coffee & Tea, which allows you a behind the scenes look at the systems, processes, and knowledge necessary for any coffee business. Our second training facility is in Dubai, Deira, UAE in collaboration with Sanremo Coffee Machines UAE. We also offer on location training at various sites around the world or at your place of business.

>> more about All of our coffee Ventures

Patrick O’Malley — SCA Diploma Holder, SCA Authorized Trainer, Roast Master, Licensed Q Arabica Grader, and Tea Sommelier

Patrick is the founder of IBCA, as well as having several other coffee businesses and partnerships. With his many certifications and years of experience, he is truly as close to a “Professor of Coffee” as one can get.

Patrick was born in Tucson and raised in the small yet cultural town of Bisbee, Arizona. His journey began when he ventured out into the world, with his sights initially set on using his developed palate for a winemaking career, but changing course when a job in Hawaii introduced him to the art and science of coffee production. In 1989, Patrick opened his first coffee business that specialized in the sale and repair of espresso machines. His passion didn’t stop there though, as Patrick also began roasting coffee and curating teas, which led to the creation of his wholesale business in 1998. Espresso Italia coffees and teas can now be found in almost 500 cafes, restaurants, and hotels all over Arizona.

Always in pursuit of honing his craft, Patrick underwent years of training and became only the 43rd person in the world to receive a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Diploma in 2010. Two years later, members of the SCA asked him to train others in the art of specialty coffee. So, Patrick founded the International Barista & Coffee Academy in 2012. Inspired by the same passion to share the joy of quality coffee and tea, shortly after in 2015, the doors to Infusion Coffee & Tea Crafters opened. The cafe shares space with IBCA so that guests can witness grading and testing in the lab and even watch the roasting process that went into the cup of coffee they are drinking.

Patrick has since received the SCA Trainer of the Year award, the SCA Distinguished Education Coordinator Award, and the Passionate Educator Award from the Specialty Coffee Guild. He now travels internationally to teach with IBCA, judge coffee competitions, lead coffee enthusiasts to the source on coffee voyages with 3 Coffee Guys, consult on research and development with Sanremo Coffee Machines, and to film a coffee documentary.

Matt Malinka — IBCA Instructor and Equipment Maintenance Director

Matt has worked alongside Patrick O’Malley at IBCA and Espresso Italia since 2003, and he is an invaluable member of the IBCA team of instructors. Matt is certified as a Master Technician under several espresso machine manufacturers including Cimbali, Sanremo, La Marzocco, and many more. Espresso Italia is the master distributor in the US for La Nuova Era, making Matt the head technician for La Nuova Era machines in all of the United States. He is also the only tech in the region who knows Sanremo machines. With over 15 years of experience, there isn’t a machine that he can’t fix.

He enjoys “tinkering” with everything! From rebuilding classic cars in his free time to teaching IBCA students about proper espresso machine calibration, Matt is a master when it comes to solving and preventing the majority of coffee equipment issues, especially when it comes to thinking outside the box. He loves sharing his knowledge including useful tips that can extend the life of an espresso machine, cost-effective machine maintenance, and important preventative care information. Matt is also responsible for ensuring that all IBCA’s espresso machines are calibrated and in tip-top working order for all IBCA classes.