Coffee certainly has enjoyed sustained success as the next big beverage for quite some time now. Move over, tea! You're only for Brits and people who need to calm down before going to bed on a chilly winter's evening. But a love for coffee isn't as simple as walking up to the counter at Starbucks and ordering whatever sounds the most Italian. No, it takes a little more work than that.
No one can quite pinpoint the latest coffee boom, only comment on the far-flung places in the rural United States where it's now possible to get an organic cup of coffee (thanks, Newman's Organic and McDonalds). A large number of university cafeterias across the country fought for their right to fair-trade coffee back in the 1990s, so you'd think that this coffee trend, especially with foodies, would be a little over by now.
The real difference between a love for coffee and a strong like for it is knowing a little bit more about how it's made and where it comes from. For example, espresso is not a different type of coffee bean. Rather, it's a special kind of coffee beverage where the hot water is forced through well-packed, finely-ground coffee. The machine that makes espresso is where the beverage gets its name, and is actually only from 1901, when a man in Milan filed the very first patent. Unlike coffee, espresso has a foam, even without milk, and a thicker consistency. A truly good espresso, you see, will hold sugar you pour in for a couple of seconds before it breaks through the foam.
Anyone with a real love for coffee also knows that you don't have to start with espresso but rather, can enjoy some regular coffee with plenty of room for milk and sugar. If you simply must start right out with espresso, be aware: the good kind is much thicker than regular coffee, comes in a small cup, and should have a foamy upper layer that can hold a packet or spoonful of sugar, easy.
In fact, ordering coffee is one of the biggest parts of learning to drink it, and if you're going to be using coffee to socialize in new and exciting places, you should probably know what you're getting yourself into. Except early in the morning on the way to work, when you stand at the bar and do a shot of espresso, drinking coffee in Italy is going to set you back at least an afternoon. The same is true in France. Those are a couple of the only countries where you can order a shot of espresso and make it last for a couple of hours, so order accordingly.
If you're not a fan of strong coffee, or don't want to be running around like a speed freak, then get something that's mostly milk and foam. Look for things involving "leche" in the title, as it will mean that you're enjoying some mild coffee with a whole lot of cream or milk. And when in doubt, just order what looks like a larger coffee drink. That way, you'll be able to sip slowly. A love for coffee will not be made by forcing yourself to drink too much of it in a bitter form.
One of the best parts about drinking coffee, especially socially, is the snacks! From Holland to Argentina, you can expect at least a couple of cookies and sometimes even a glass of orange juice, so there's always something to pick at while you're enjoying your coffee. It's also nice, if you haven't eaten, to put something in your stomach that isn't just a cup of caffeine.
And if it all seems like too much, just remember: a love for coffee is made, not born. You've got time to figure out which version is best for you.
When Damian Papworth hosts a major party he pulls out the 12 cup coffee maker. For typical mornings though one cup coffee makers are fine
