TheCity

Tag: Coffee

  • Espresso yourself: Coffee Stereotypes

    Espresso yourself: Coffee Stereotypes

    Coffee is an institution, fuelled by busy lives, early morning and Starbucks.

    For some it’s their ‘elixir of life’, the only thing that gets them through the day. For others it is the only socially acceptable way to drink pints of cream, and also acts as a gateway drug to all things baked, puffed and sprinkled in sugar.

    Once you have become devoted to the black stuff, whatever your reasons, you will quickly notice yourself clocking up hours of waiting in queues for your daily fix. This is when you begin to notice the coffee stereotypes, because how you like it, is a reflection of you.

    According to the DeLonghi National Coffee Report what coffee you drink can say a lot about the type of person you are. The report found latte drinkers are high-maintenance, while flat white consumers are plain and boring.

    Following from this, an espresso is a reflection of the purist coffee drinker. An Americano is the bread and butter of any coffee enthusiast. Filter coffee is reserved for students; prepare for the sound of cascading coins on the counter.

    Soy, chai and matcha are all adjectives reserved for hipsters as they sit endlessly in cafes discussing the ethical ramifications of the Xfactor. As for those that order decaf coffee (cough) enough said; you are unwelcome into our haven of excellence.

    Trying to find a great cup of coffee is no easy task. In unfamiliar territory we often find ourselves strolling in to a café, salivating, wide eyed and eager hoping the establishment’s expertise will deliver us from a tired haze into a jittery state of euphoria.

    After handing over a few euros we are forced to wait in suspense for the hand-crafted beverage to slide our way; hoping it will tantalise our taste buds on arrival. Often, sadly, we are handed a gut wrenching drink that you wouldn’t serve to your worst enemy.

    Coffee chains, like their average aesthetic appeal, provide average coffee. There is no love brewed into your adored beverage, you are a number on a spreadsheet and thanks to your dedication to “the man”, your eighth one is free.

    But the people of Dublin are catching on. Take for instance Clement Pekoe on South William Street. All those spotted working here are just too cool and hailing from a genetic disposition that makes them innately more beautiful than you or I, but they pride themselves on good coffee.

    3FE, on Grand Canal Street, is another café providing exemplary coffee. Every week they run classes for people who want to learn how to make better coffees at home. Or alternatively they run tastings for groups who want to truly broaden their knowledge and become coffee connoisseurs.

    Coffee is a way of life, and in no uncertain terms it is what dreams are made of. So whatever it is that satisfies those coffee loving taste buds, get drinking and enjoy.

  • OPINION: Coffee, The Universal Ice Breaker

    OPINION: Coffee, The Universal Ice Breaker

    I like coffee, a lot.

    I thought I’d just put that out there at the beginning.

    I like coffee for many reasons and in many different ways.

    I like that it wakes me up in the morning. I like the taste. I like to put honey in it, I like to put sugar in it. I like that when its a cold, wet, miserable, shitty morning outside, a cup of coffee makes it a little easier to bear for a brief moment.

    It is such a versatile drink. You can have a latte, cappuccino, mocha, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, cream,  sugar soaked, diabetes inducing frappuccino. The possibilities are endless.

    I know I’m not the only one to hold coffee in such a high regard. Coffee is the universal ice breaker.

    How may times have you asked a girl or boy or man or woman you “like” to go for coffee? How many times have you invited someone “up for coffee”? Oh yeah, coffee is another word for sex. Another reason I, as do many others, like it.

    As a smoker (who is trying to quit) there is absolutely no better combination on this giant ball of rock than coffee and a cigarette. None.

    I am not advocating smoking. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start, you will regret it. If you do though, then you have to admit that chemically the two go together better than tea and biscuits!

    How many times have you been falling asleep at your laptop at 2am with an assignment due in 7 hours? For me, its been a lot. Actually more than I should admit. But what do you do then? You get up and make a coffee and you’re good to go!

    Some of the best, most interesting, random conversations I have had have been over coffee. I have been offered jobs over coffee, I have been fired over coffee. I have broken hearts and had my heart broken over a cup of coffee. It is the universal ice breaker.

    There are very few social scenarios that coffee can be excluded from. It may not be needed but it cannot be excluded. It is there when you need a pick me up or a chat with a friend or to sober up following one too many gallons of alcohol.

    Coffee is a very important part of my life. I didn’t realise how much so until I started writing this, but it is. If I didn’t drink coffee I would have missed out on a couple of jobs, girlfriends (including my current lady friend), conversations and friendships.

    If I didn’t drink  coffee I would have failed college completely due to never finishing an assignment ( I like to work at night). I would never have found the chemical wonderment that is coffee and a smoke (so I would have quit by now to be fair). My mornings would be much slower, not to mention crap, cold and miserable.

    If I didn’t drink coffee what would I drink? Tea. And I already drink enough of that.