A love of coffee is something that for most of us begins early, progresses steadily, settles firmly and remains with us for life and for which we develop an accompanying very personal vocabulary. A style of coffee is something we “own”!
This article takes a look at our love affair with coffee, how it begins, how we maintain it, and above all, how we express it.
Why do people love coffee?
We’ll usually try our first coffee in our teens, and this is when we become interested in its “borrowed energy”. We typically go for the sweetened versions first.
The sweetened versions of coffee include milkshakes, iced coffees, and ice cream drinks, which fill the need for quick energy, socializing fun, and enough calories to get us through all that summer activity.
Sooner or latter we begin to notice the flavour profile of the coffee bean, and this can be an extraordinary experience because coffee has multiple personalities that goes way beyond sugar.
This is when we begin to express a need for “our” coffee, what it is, when we want it, how to make it, and how to NOT serve it.
What is a “coffee lover”?
A coffee lover is a connoisseur of coffee. They drink it, make it, know about it, are very particular and precise about it and distain all inferior versions of it. A coffee lover is not a coffee addict. Coffee addiction is a completely different concept.
Coffee lovers know the different between a short black and a doppio, a cortado and a breve, the difference between aroma and flavour, and will never drink (or serve) cream in an iced latte.
Coffee lovers are passionate and obsessed. They can imbibe a lot of caffeine. They know where all the best coffee places are, and if there aren’t any, will carry their own coffee making gear with them. They have outstanding camping coffee apparatus and always carry beans.
Coffee lovers rarely drink instant coffee.
When did the world first begin to love coffee?
Coffee has an ancient history which is rooted in lore and mystery, and which, like chocolate, was not known first as a leisure indulgence.
Our love of coffee began in the 1800s when it attracted the interest of entrepreneurs.The coffee bean “roasting process” followed soon after, and coffee became a worldwide commodity.
Coffee is now a valued and valuable global artistic trade with over 2 billions cups consumed every day.
What is about coffee we love?
Coffee drinkers love the flavours of coffee. We love its “punch” and “kick”, and we are passionate about its ability to deliver an “experience”.
Coffee lovers develop a style and stick to it. However, we may have a different “cuppa” for the morning, noon, and the evening. Whatever we have, it must be brewed “right”.
We want the energy and the inspiration that comes with it, and we associate good coffee with creativity, deadlines, achievement and success.
How do we express our love of coffee?
Coffee is steeped in loving and expressive vocabulary. Just read the coffee menu of any confident coffee house and experience the tiny stories of coffee experiences.
- Strong chocolatey aromas and a sweet velvet mouthfeel
- An enticing aroma of blended floral and spice
- Exotic and syrupy body with hints of vanilla
- The taste of chocolate toned fruit without sharpness
- Dry, bright, delicate, dancing, and sweet
- An opulent blueberry toned experience
- A direct hit that will both challenge and satisfy the tongue
What do these “coffee words” mean?
These lavish descriptions are coffees are describing flavour profiles. Coffee connoisseurs, who spend time exploring the taste and smell experience of different coffees, need an expansive vocabulary.
This is because the flavour profile of coffee (the combination of different flavours experienced at once) is complex and broad.
So, what a description such as “dry, bright, dancing, and sweet” is referring to is the texture of the coffee, the fragrance (the smell before brewing), the aroma (smell after it is brewed), the flavours identified in a particular brew (which come from the bean and where it’s grown, and from the roasting and brewing processes).
A description of coffee also encompasses how the drink affects us, and note also that coffee has an astonishing impact on a dining experience.
What are some more “coffee” words?
Some of the plainer and more common words and phrase we use to describe our coffee include:
- Piping hot
- Strong and black
- Fragrant and smooth
- Strong and milky
- Spicy and pungent
- Foamy and sweet
- Bitter and intense
- Nippy and tangy
- Piquant
- Caramelly
- Smoky and woody
- Aromatic
What are some of the different coffees we love?
Some of the most popular coffees include:
- The cappuccino
- The espresso
- The cortado
- The ristretto
- The café au lait
- The doppio
- The macchiato
- The caffe Americano
- The flat white
- The iced latte
- The long black
- Frappe
The design, preparation, and serving of good coffee is managed, if a coffeehouse has one, by a trained barista.
What does a barista do?
A “barista” is a bartender who serves a range of drinks and snacks, but which now simply means a “ bartender” who specializes in and serves espresso coffees.
A barista is trained in the manual preparation of espresso coffees and/or in the operation of espresso coffee machines.
Experienced baristas use the machines but exercise discretion in how they “build” the coffees from the base up, and in how they serve them. There is as much potential in creativity with coffee as there is in preparing and serving alcoholic cocktails.
Why do people become baristas?
People pursue a career as barista in order to express and demonstrate their passion and flair for building stylish coffees.
A café with a good barista attracts customers and keeps them.
It is usual for eating establishments to now invest in good baristas, especially as coffee is a drink that we consume all day and at any time of the day; we always expect coffee to be available no matter where we are.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
