If you don’t like coffee, or at least the idea of its greatness, please do not read any further. This post is all about coffee – the preciously friendly plant, the thought-inspiring bean, the divine draught…
Okay, so maybe you do not have to be that in love with coffee.
WHY COFFEE
I really did not even like the “divine draught” either until my later years of college. Both of my parents drank multiple cups every day as I was growing up, but the bean-water always seemed too bitter to my tongue all by itself. I couldn’t tell the difference in taste between a Latin American, African, or Asian Pacific roast. Shoot, my parents drank dry freeze Folgers, so the only way I forced it down was with half a mug of cream and what might as well have been a boot full of sugar.
As any normal boy does though, I admired my father; put him on a pedestal above almost any other figure in my childhood. So as I made the transition to long nights and early mornings in college, I put 2 and two together to recognize why my parents loved coffee so much.
A love for coffee so often boils down to necessity. One needs to “burn the candle from both ends” for whatever reason, so he turns to the sweet, black nectar to keep his energy flowing. It also helps when high-esteemed people around us enjoy a steamy cup or happen to be a local barista.
WHERE COFFEE
Athens, Georgia
“Glory, glory to ole Georgia.” The Classic City is not only home to some of the Southeastern Conference’s most famous bars, but also some of the greatest coffee roasters & shops I have run into anywhere in the South.
I started out hating big coffee roasters & companies like Starbucks. They “burn their coffee beans” and are “the man” after all, right? Totally opposite of what I wanted in coffee, which was completely okay amid the abundance of Jittery Joe’s, Two Story Coffeehouse, or even Walker’s Coffee & Pub.
- Jittery Joe’s – if you want great coffee beans to take home.
- Two Story Coffeehouse – a great sit-down environment to share with friends.
- Walker’s – somewhere nice on North Campus to take your History 3102 breakout discussion.
Dallas Proper
If you’re anywhere near Uptown, Downtown, University Park, or Bishops Arts, check out the wealth of amazing local shops when you get a chance: Pearl Cup, Crooked Tree, Opening Bell, Café Brazil, Bread Winner’s, or – my ultimate favorite – Oddfellow’s.
I will always love the small shop feel & personalized service from my baristas. However, it’s also pretty great to get quality coffee wherever I travel for work. For that consistency of quality and availability, I have gone to the dark side. I now choose Starbucks, or Starb’s.
The Metroplex
Any time you’re in a rush, opt for Starb’s though. There’s nothing like a Caramel Macchiato or White Chocolate Mocha. You know it’s going to be great drink and, perhaps even more rare, great service. Starb’s also has a great selection of drinkware and whole beans readily available for whatever type of coffee you prefer (including the newest Blonde roast – a lighter, mellower alternative to the Mediums and Darks). I would strongly encourage new coffee lovers to sit down in a Starb’s café with a few friends, order a couple of French presses, and enjoy the divine draught with some pastries or delicious breads.
Fellow coffee lovers, there is more to come. Those that could care less about coffee, I’ll mention tea every now and then. But seriously, thank you all for reading. I enjoy fostering a community where people can read, view photos, or even check out videos to converse about the things they love.
Keep on commenting and creating. And if you’re having trouble getting started, try a cup of coffee.
