Tim Taylor, the owner of the beloved Bucktown coffee shop Ipsento (2035 N. Western Ave.), was biking to work on Thursday when he got some bad news. Ipsento’s business license was being revoked because the coffee shop had failed to pay nine months’ sales tax in 2010.

Taylor opened Ipsento, which is known for its artfully poured lattees and direct relationship with coffee bean growers in Africa and Central and South America, two years ago. The backed taxes were “mistakenly overlooked,” the shop said in a press release Friday, adding that Ipsento is current with its 2011 taxes. Taylor said the mistake was made by a new bookkeeper he’d hired.

“Now I’m taking care of my own books,” Taylor said Saturday evening at a latte art party he hosted at the café. “I delegated too much. It was a hard lesson learned I hope not to repeat.”

Taylor said he’s heading to the Illinois Department of Revenue office today to put down the required 20 percent of the lump sum owed and to file the necessary paperwork to reopen Ipsento. He hopes the shop will open its doors to the public again this week.

At the latte art party, dozens of locals popped into the café to show their support for Taylor and some even offered to loan the shop money to make the down payment. Taylor says he hosted the party to encourage patrons to have fun, but “in the back of my mind” hoped some regulars would come to Ipsento’s aid.

“That’s where there’s camraderie among third-wave cofee shops,” said Taylor, who plans to take one regular up on his loan offer.

For about an hour, the sound of milk steamers and espresso machines filled the air as 14 baristas and amateur latte pourers stepped behind Ipsento’s counter to compete in the latte art competition. Each player chose his or her own “vessel” — such as a paper cup, tiny glass cup, or large ceramic mug — to pour a latte with a design on the top. Three veteran baristas and Ipsento employees judged each pairing and declared a winner based on skill and clarity of design — hearts, rosettes and “S” shapes were popular pours.

Ryan Hart, a barista at Ipsento, won the contest with a perfect rosette.

“It’s what I was trained to pour, so it’s sort of a comfort thing,” Hart said of his choice.

Taylor said Ipsento is planning to offer latte art classes to the public starting this month, since the café’s “Art of Espresso” and “History and Science of Brewing Coffee” classes have done well.

Taylor said as coffee prices go up, more people look for ways to artfully brew their coffee at home, and Ipsento is hoping to engage with these customers.

“It’s the craft, home brewers for beer movement, but with espresso,” he said.