Why Coffee?
My first specialty coffee beverage; Sambalatte, Las Vegas
Do you drink coffee? What is your relationship with coffee?
Mine has definitely changed over the years. As a child, my grandmother, a lovely Italian woman, used to brew a large pot of decaf Folgers every morning, add a Sweet N’ Low and a hefty amount of Half and Half. Basically coffee-flavoured cream. I loved it. She used to pour me a cup, and as I got older, I would make the coffee for her. She would always take one or two sips and forget about it. There were dirty mugs all over her small house, rings of sugary coffee seeped into the wooden tables and dribbles of coffee were her famous accessory. Bless her. She still does this, in her care home, there are cups everywhere with partially sipped coffee. Not sure how she always forgot to finish it. But I love her for it.
My mother, on the other hand, was a tad more sophisticated. She used instant decaf coffee, Nescafé, to be exact, with one Equal (artificial sweetener) and some non-fat milk. Yet, she never finished her coffee either. Standard Mom protocol included microwaving the watery coffee mixture hours later to drink alongside her meal of M&M’s and Hershey’s Hugs. Don’t ask.
Pa, ah great man, he used instant as well, and sometimes gas station coffee when I was a child. However, when at home, he would brew his coffee in the same styrofoam cup each morning, piping hot, and add a touch of sugar and cream. He would then shower and get ready for the day, return to the kitchen only to chug the coffee within less than a minute. Crazy and silly human.
I then of course spurred onto the well-known chain blended coffees and lattes (you know who I am referring to), and then discovering the deliciously smooth coffees from specialty shops dotted around Las Vegas, the third wave of coffee crashed into my life, I rode on the tide as it consumed the casino-filled streets of my home. Everywhere I went, I yearned to visit a specialty shop, gulp a sweet and creamy latte, without thinking twice about the origins of the lovely beans that created the mixture. I had a passion for finding these coffee shops and enjoyed the foamy sketch seated on top of my wondrous beverage. Veganism hit, and I transitioned to soy what have you’s and vegan baked goods.
It took some time before I realized the power of coffee and the unique universe that each variety, origin, and processing method created. Working in specialty shops and roasteries as a young adult taught me not only how to do a perfect rosetta or tulip with the flick of my wrist, but it also opened the door to the world I would eventually call home. Batch brew became my beverage of choice. My parents still cannot fathom how I slowly sip a carefully brewed filter and talk about its beauty. They have attended my cuppings and told me afterwards how sour and bitter the coffee was. Oh well…
My story is unique as I have ventured to a few countries and held a number of coffee-careers. I also have two Masters degrees under my belt, both focused on coffee production and how it can be more sustainable and why specialty coffee has the power to, well you know…change the world.
People always ask me why I am so obsessed with coffee…I still refuse to tell my Mormon childhood friends about my deal with the devil’s juice. There is something about the intricate world that coffee has created. From eastern Africa and the Middle East, coffee grew legs thanks to colonialism and spread to Central and South America. The rich Coffee Belt situated on that tropical, wet and warm oasis on the globe is the ideal place to grow coffee. Some regions are better than others of course, depending on your preference. I mean…in Ethiopia, producers have wild coffee growing in gardens that taste insanely fruits and floral. Whereas carefully designed and planned coffee estates in Central America have perfected a tea-like coffee that is prized throughout the world. The coffee industry is open to a world of opinions. V60 or Aeropress; washed or natural; Africa or Mesoamerica; long black short black. The list goes on.
This is why I love it. We all adore the belovedl-y simple beverage that grows on trees and is handpicked by people who love what they do. Sadly…these people are some of the poorest in the world. These people can hardly afford schooling for their children, have no electricity, and may not know how prized their coffee is in developed nations.
I seek to make a difference for these people. I want them to see how much we adore the hard work they put into their trees and how much we appreciate what they do. I want people to drink better coffee, to understand that we must step above the ways of the past and take action with their caffeine intake each day. Can we make specialty instant coffee? Well yes…but how do we make it affordable and teach people about its importance?
There are many questions that need answering. I do not have all of the answers, but I have some. Let’s not be intimidating baristas or home-brewers. Let’s create a society where we support these amazing producers and shine light on these delectable coffees. Not sure where this is going but come on! Join me!
