Who me…?? A coffee snob??

Sitting in a cafe yesterday I was having a great conversation about coffee (as I seem to do quite often) with the owner of the cafe, and in an offhand comment I mentioned that I wish less people drank flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos, as I wished that they had a better opportunity to actually taste the coffee. At which point I was put in my place by the barista who told me that “they are totally separate drinks”.

He of course was absolutely correct. Where as I see milk and sugar (not to mention the syrups some people are addicted to) as little more than something used to cover up over roasted, industrially flavoured, poorly maintained coffee, the truth is that a well textured, good quality milk can work in concert with a well roasted, expertly prepared cup of coffee. Certainly (on a personal level) milk and my body no longer agree with each other, but that is no reason that a coffee specifically roasted to have with milk can not be a delicious experience.

Even so, I still hope that more people stray from their usual extra strong flat white, or half strength decaf latte, for something that is more likely to express the 100s of hours of artisanal excellence that goes into ever cup we drink. I hope that people are able to move past the simply medicinal use of coffee to shock the system awake, and are able to take the time to enjoy the differences in the varietals, regional characteristics, roasting profiles and brew techniques.

Coffee does not have to taste bitter to be strong. It does not need sugar to cover the burnt plastic or over roasted taints that are often found in cheap and mass produced coffee (and yes, I am thinking about the classic coffees that I’ve had in places like Italy). Instead, as a coffee snob, I hope that people get to enjoy their own personal coffee journey, no matter where on that journey they happen to be. Yes, I will continue to try and stretch that comfort zone many have encamped themselves in, but it is not a crusade. You need not be put to the sword if you have milk in your coffee, nor decaf for that matter, so take my rants with a touch of salt (much better than sugar), and enjoy the coffee you have in front of you. If it isn’t enjoyable, it is likely not you, it is just time to find a better cafe serving better coffee.

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