Amber’s keeping her cool real cool today. She talks more this morning than yesterday, but seems totally at ease — starts off introducing her espresso blend again, a marriage of two Brazils: Veloso Estate and Santo Antonio Estate. Sweetness and caramel are promised, to match the caramel Sather is cooking down at the front of the stage while she prepares the rest of her drinks.

The entire routine is super-polished and eerily calm. She’s keeping her workspace spotless and is aware of everything she’s saying. Can Sather be flustered? I wouldn’t try.

Espressos are efficiently deployed. Cappuccino pours uniform and without any visible quivery nerves.

While preparing her signature drink, Sather goes into detail about her ingredients and preparation, explaining what she’s waiting to see in the caramel mix before she pulls it from the burner. A little orange essence is added to her glasses before she adds the layered caramel, espresso, and cream. At 14:54 or so Sather has delivered her drinks and instructed the judges to agitate them gently with a sea-salt encrusted spoon — and calls time. I can’t tell if she’s happy with her performance or not, but I grab a few remaining drops of signature drink backstage and that shit is fucking delicious.

I note to Ed Kauffman and Chris Deferio that today’s showdown is New York City versus Ithaca, and Deferio modestly sneers. “Cabs versus cows!” he says, adding, “Tomorrow the headline will read — ‘NYC: Nice Try'”.

Three more to go!