“I can’t imagine a day without coffee. I can’t imagine!” ~ Howard Schultz
Caffeine Junkie
Oh Mister Shultz neither can I. Neither can I. Both Sarah over at LifewithLilRed and Jenny from SitBackAndJustLive are the inspiration for this post, having read their posts, literally with-in a couple days of each other back in April, I realized I needed to pay homage to my first and probably only true love (sorry Doctor Mer-man).
I have written a lot about coffee, and coffee shops, but not about what I actually drink. Which let’s face it, is very important. Even my nephew who cackles as he calls me a caffeine junkie, knows my drink of choice at Starbucks.
I should start this by stating I never make it at home. I tried. Lord have I tried, but it just tastes SO MUCH BETTER when someone else makes it. (as a former chef I know all about being a harsh critic of my food!)
First of all I do not drink crap coffee.
America does NOT run on Dunkin’. I have not had Dunkin’ in 12 years. After several bad experiences, and lackluster taste, I will be dying of dehydration, have raging caffeine withdrawals (Which I surprisingly do not get) and still pass. You can not even pay me a million dollars to drink it!
Hard to believe I am from New England huh?
Recently I was at the train station in Albany Rennselear and ordered a vanilla latte. Oh. My Lanta! Pure sugar, and I am pretty sure the barista skipped the espresso. I couldn’t drink it. And while I cried at the five dollars wasted, my taste buds thanked me. I refuse to drink crap coffee. Calories people!
All the Feels
Another reason I don’t make it at home, is for me coffee is an experience.
I love saying hello to my baristas in the morning and catching up on their lives. In a city of millions it is nice to see that familiar face, to make a simple connection. My baristas are seriously the sweetest people on the planet! They always say I make their day, but guys, they make mine!
Coffee really involves feeling. It is an event. If you have ever been to Europe you know what I am talking about with food and drink. They don’t scarf it down, they savor it. You don’t chug coffee like it is a tequila shot, you sip it like it is fine wine.
Unless it is the polar vortex and I am torn between it being a hand warmer and an internal heater. But then, there is always that exception.
It is also a ritual for me. It is a way to signal my brain that it is time for me to sit down and work. As someone who can telecommute, I am much more productive going to a coffee shop then working in my PJ’s from home. It is a way to channel my energy on whatever project I am working on at the moment.
It is also a great way to socialize. Much like drinking, coffee is the sober version, yet still just as fun. I love sitting with friends in a cafe with amazing vibes and just soaking it all in. It is a perfect way to connect with people, yet without being outlandish.
My drinks
Okay so confession time I can’t really say I have a drink of choice, because it varies on where I go. Their are probably six coffee shops I go to and I order something different from all of them. The one constant is I always do espresso, and dairy of some kind, is a must.
I will say Starbuck’s Coldbrew with Vanilla Sweet Cream is heaven during the summer. My baristas were laughing because the moment it hit fifty-six degrees (Weird number I know don’t ask me) I was ordering my grande extra vanilla sweet cream cold brew with light ice and jumping for joy. (mouthful I know.)
I admit I actually have a harder time with a hot drink at Starbucks then other coffee shops. I will order a grande chai soy with extra foam but my heart isn’t really in it. Give me that cold brew please!
Now places like Peet’s or Cafe Jax I am all about that hot cup of java. A havana cappuccino or caramel latte (respectively) is heaven on earth on a cold winters day. Even during the summer when cafe’s will crank the air conditioner to arctic temps, I will order a hot drink. Skim maple latte’s from Frontside, hot or cold, always hit the spot. I can honestly say, I have never had as good a maple latte as I have at Frontside. At my other two coffee chops, I tend to keep it more simple. At Maison Kayser I do a straight up latte. And at Le Pain Quotidian it is a cafe au lait.
Some people have that candy bar a day, I have my coffee. It isn’t just a treat but something that I look forward too whether I am working, meeting friends, or just saying a quick hello to my baristas. It is the one event that is always guaranteed to brighten my day, not just because of the taste of a good coffee bean, but because of the people that come with it.
Do you like coffee? How do you take it? Is it an event for you or just a caffeinated necessity?
Ooh I lived reading through the post as I’m a coffee-tea drinker myself.. good job! ☕️
Thank you so much for your sweet words and for reading! I am glad you enjoyed this! I am trying to drink tea more! I do love myself some green tea! And lol that is one of my favorite emojis! 🙂 <3
Aww you’re very welcome lovely, I really enjoyed reading through it 😍 Yay the tea emoji is also one of my fave’s too! 🙌🏼 xo
I just love you my caffeinated darling!! ☺️😘
Awe I LOVE YOU! My stunning caffeine sweetheart! <3
Do you really only have one cup a day? I had you pegged for a 2-3 cups a day person.
My husband used to get his coffee at Starbucks every morning but that changed after I pointed out how much he was spending a year. How much do you think you spend?
We also love the coffee culture and all the different cafe drinks in Europe. When the daily trips to Starbucks stopped we purchased a $60 espresso machine from Sur La Table to accompany the dual multi-cup coffee maker/Keurig and coffee bean grinder we have. Now on weekends we experiment and make our own cortados, lattes and cappuccinos and we are trying out different types of coffee like illy, Lavazza, etc to learn what we like the best. We still haven’t become good Baristas but we hope to get there eventually. I’m still trying to learn all the differences between the types of roasts 🙂
I’m also curious about what a coffee aficionado like you thinks of 7eleven coffee. Is it right up there with Dunkin for you? Is it the coffee you don’t like or the lack of ambiance? We just
started getting Dunkin Donuts out here in Southern California and (besides my husband whose from east coast) people here don’t share the east coast love for Dunkin Coffee, I never understood it either when I was back east. However I’ve noticed that the new locations out here are trying to make themselves destinations like Starbucks with armchairs and inviting spaces for people with laptops. On the flip side, I’ve found a lot of people here who swear by 7eleven coffee, is there 7eleven coffee hype in the east coast?
As I wrote in my post, coffee is an experience for me, while I have indulged in more then one cup a day, just as easily I have gone days without it. For me I don’t drink it because it gives me energy (I definitely have plenty of that lol) but because I enjoy the taste immensely. Life is short and should be enjoyed. We all have our indulgences and preferences. My treat to myself is coffee because I truly do enjoy the taste of great tasting coffee, it also (as I wrote above) is a ritual of sorts for when I write telling my brain and creative muse to get to it!
That is great that you make coffee at home. It is fun to experiment and try/make new things. I wish you luck on your coffee endeavors. Their are so many great roasts out there, that their really is something for everyone to enjoy.
Well, LOL, again as I stated in my post, the reason I do not like Dunkin is, very definitely taste. I have also had numerous bad experiences with them, that have put me off of them.
I can’t comment on 7-11 coffee as I have never had it, in part because I do not drink coffee to give me energy. And I am pretty sure I would get weird looks if I brought my laptop into a 7-11 to do work. LOL.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
I have instant coffee at home 😂 It’s not as good as going to a cafe though. But I enjoy having a hot drink in the morning, it’s part of my routine. Plus I’m also trying to spend less. Buuut, I do love going to a cafe and ordering a drink, seeing it made, talking to the barista…it’s become a treat 🙂
I love that! We all need those rituals or routines 🙂 I think that is why I only ever drink coffee at a shop, because I am usually there to work and it is a kinder order to get to it and be productive. ;p
Baristas really do make or break a coffee shop. It does! It is my little indulgence for the day! 🙂 <3
Ode to coffee, my dearest love <3 <3 First of all thanks for the shout out! woot woot 😉 But secondly yes a million times yes, what is life without coffee?!?!? I too cannot and will not make my own coffee ever. Even keurigs, no thank you- not to mention it tastes VERY watered down to me. That will only ever come into play if its last resort lol I honestly think going to the coffee shop is part of the coffee loving experience, especially when you're in unfamiliar areas, that's one of my favorite things. Cold brew with vanilla sweet cream mmm sounds really good!!! I think I might have to try that today! Have you ever tried Philz Coffee?!?
xo, JJ
Hehe you are most welcome sweets! Thank YOU for inspiring me! Right? It is depressing and sad, and and I can barely live with the thought! Oh the horror! (I am not dramatic or anything;)
And gurlll yass! THIS is why I love you! You get my “Make coffee at home? Am I dying?” way of thinking!
It really is! AND yes! I love finding new coffee shops, especially locally owned when I travel. Talking to the baristas it makes me feel like I am home away from home.
It is amazing! Sweets you HAVE to try it!
It sounds familiar…Does it have a crazy colorful logo on it? <3
Great little machine for specialty coffees at home. I got it as a starter machine for my husband, as he got fed up with our local famous coffee shop. The quality of their mochas had gone downhill, so now he makes them at home and they are better than the $5 kind. FYI, if you are making mochas, I recommend Ghirardelli chocolate Barista mini-chips, dark chocolate.
I hope this helps.
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