diet coke with instant espresso.
its 8:04 in the morning. my streetcar went out of service four blocks away from my office. its spitting rain. im in my nice grey pleated work pants, a tucked in grey tshirt, and uncomfortably broken-in black dress shoes. even though my work is mostly remote, and im not expected to come into the office, i woke myself up this morning to go in, i have work i need to get done and class later tonight. im already late to work. taking long strides, i trip over the sidewalk as i pass the cathedral. why am i rushing? my manager doesnt even wake up this early... nobody on my team does.
whatever, ill just get a coffee. this office is in a bit of an arid spot in terms of cafes. google map tells me theres an okay rated cafe tucked in a street corner ive never visited. im already late, whatever, i might aswell grab a drink while im at it. i get into the cafe, duvet by boa is playing, there are plants seated by the window, and a tired but calm barista. i pay my 3.54$, get my iced americano, admire the cafe a bit more, then jump to work.
when it comes to coffee, im very simple with my preferences. that doesnt mean im not specific with my expectations. i like iced americanos and turkish coffee. i dont like bitter tasting coffee. i find that in some locales, the baristas leave the pulled shots sitting too long, leaving my supposed to be mild americano, horribly bitter. likewise, my sisters like to leave the coffee to bubble for a bit, which just leaves my turkish coffee tasting burnt and uneventful. the barista this time made my order good, like really good.
i dont like adding milk, or sugar, or anything. im not an elitist about it, my stomach just acts funny. i used to drink one cream/ one sugar coffee from tim hortons back in high school, and i remember each time i would run to the bathroom halfway through the cup.
im also not dependent on coffee (or caffeine in general), i consider it something thats nice to indulge in, it boosts my mood, but i can work and function without it. for me, coffee gathers people. typically, you call over a friend, you sit down, order, and talk or sit in silence. its a social activity. it gives me a chance to take a break in the day. whats life without little treats on the way?
coffee flavored anything is an instant plus from me. theres these coffee candies from indonesia called kopiko. i think i single handedly raised my average blood sugar idnex by a few points for a few months by how many of these damn candies i ate. they taste crazy good, like a cuban espresso with a bit of a caramelly flavor from the sugar. i sometimes crush these candies up and put them in a coke. ive also made cookies with the crushed up pieces, they were amazing. i had a really good coffee gelato a few weeks ago too, i dont remember the occasion, but i remember it being really good. coffee soda, canned coffee, coffee bread, coffee with orange juice, i have tried it all atleast to my own knowledge and will continue to for the foreseeable future.
to talk about my favorite coffee flavored beverage; coke with coffee is king. i dislike the added sugar in the ones the coca cola company makes, so i tend to just make the same thing at home with instant espresso and diet coke. my family, my friends, everyone, thinks i am crazy, but it just has a unique taste that i really enjoy. i try not to indulge in it too often, there is too much caffeine in that nice of a drink, but alas.