Coffee

December 8th, 2005 | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0) |

Partly inspired by Ryan’s post about his “walk with the magical bean,” but more so by recent events in my life, I’d like to discuss the increasing role coffee is playing in my everyday life.

For a long time I wondered why anyone would want to drink coffee at all, for several reasons. First, because when I was in junior high, I remember trying the coffee that my church offered between the service and Sunday school. Actually, what I really remember is that it tasted like I was drinking liquefied ashes. I added a ton of milk and upwards of twelve packs of sugar and even then it just tasted like thick, sugary, liquefied ashes. I figured that I just wasn’t a “coffee drinker.” Second, people say that coffee is an aquired taste. Why would you want to have to aquire a taste for something when you can just enjoy a drink that already pleases your palette without having the akward adjustment period? Such was my opinion of coffee throughout my teenage years.

Something inside of me, however, really wanted to be able to go to a coffee shop and order something besides a frozen cooler or something equally lame. Late in high school, I discovered chai at Border’s book store. I remember thinking that it tastes like liquefied graham crackers. And if I could choose between the liquid version of the remains of a bonfire or a delicious cracker, I choose the latter. Chai not only tasted good, but it made me feel good because I could go to coffee shops with actual coffee drinkers wihout being self-conscious about ordering something lame (again, the frozen cooler).

Shortly after, at an unknown point in time, I discovered that I enjoy cappucino as well… but not real cappucino - no - gas station cappucino. Even though it tastes nothing like actual cappucino, it is nonetheless called “cappucino” and I was drinking it. Again, this was the state of my relationship with coffee for most of college. Chai and gas station cappucino.

In the last month, as far as coffee is concerned, I have gone from zero to hero. I began drinking mochas and carmel mochas and similar drinks which I found out have two shots of espresso in them. They didn’t taste too bad, either. I started ordering them with an extra shot of espresso. I started drinking them all the time. Even at the movies. For a completely unknown reason, I decided that I wanted to aquire the taste. Then, about two weeks ago, I bought some Folger’s® coffee singles, which are like tea bags but for coffee. I didn’t have a coffee maker, but I did have a hot water pot, so I forced three or four cups of it down to try to get used to the taste.

Last night Tom gave me a coffee maker for Christmas. Tom’s an avid coffee drinker. In this picture, taken in August, I am faking it and he isn’t. So far I’ve brewed¹ two pots. One with some Caribou coffee from a friend and employee of the shop, and one with regular store-bought coffee. I actually enjoy the taste now. I can’t believe it. Two nights ago I got some chocolate covered espresso beans… they’re delicious. This could get ugly… nah. It will be beautiful.

It’s a good thing, too, because I’ll be the first in line to buy some Coca-Cola Blak, the company’s new coffee-infused soft drink.

*Coffee cup image care of RefractedMoments on Flickr.

1. I feel like the past tense for “brew” should be “brown” (rhymes with throne) or “brewn” (rhymes with noon). “I’ve brewed” just sounds really wrong. ↩