And these are some of their coffee cup masterpieces.

Of course, these delicate works of latte art often last only seconds - about as long as it takes you to add sugar, stir and start sipping.

But there's nothing like an espresso with an expression to give your caffeine kick some flair.

Caleb Evans, from Ona at Manuka, is an award-winning barista who can create a veritable Noah's Ark of animal figures in your cup - from a peacock to a lion to an elephant.

Maria Marzano, of Cosmorex at Fyshwick, is another medal winner. She is a magician who can swirl milk foam and crema to make a floral motif appear before your very eyes. Cas Schlitz, of Gryphons Caffe Bar at Griffith, will tease a mythical griffin out of your flat white froth - complete with wisps of flame flaring from its dragon-like snout.

But before you dump your sugar into that pretty crema pattern and tear through the delicate design with that vicious spoon, a recap.

Crema is the name for that luscious, reddish-brown honeycomb of coffee bubbles produced after pressurised water has passed through the tightly packed ''puck'' in a coffee filter head. This pressure causes oils to form the rich micro-foam known as ''crema'' in Italian.

Apparently one of the measures of a true barista (which, by the way, is Italian for bartender) is the ability to produce a ''Guinness effect'' through the copious production of crema. Italian coffee tradition demands that the crema last as long as there is any liquid left in the cup and be strong enough to support a spoonful of sugar.

Canberra's current crop of crema creatives are uber-cool twenty-somethings who treat their coffee-houses as galleries for displays of drinkable design. Their works of art in a cup are ephemeral, but coffee artists such as Ross Walker and Kieran Carmichael, of Farmers Daughter at Yarralumla, work intensely so your espresso makes an impression.

But why bother when it may even be hidden under a plastic lid? Marzano says food must not only taste good but also look special.

''It's about personality, your establishment's personality, the barista's personality and the going trend,'' she said. ''It makes the experience feel more complete. The customer loves something extra and I get to feel proud.''