For a Love of Coffee

Coffee is a mysterious elixir that many come to love for reasons they can’t quite understand.

The temperature can be tricky. Coffee straight from the pot is way too hot for me to drink. Once it hits room temperature, all the magic is gone. I have this narrow sweet spot of temperature and time where the coffee doesn’t burn my mouth but still gives me that “warming my soul” feel.

The flavor can be tricky. Over the years, I’ve had dark roasts, medium roasts, blonde roasts, dessert flavored blends, exotic blends, holiday blends, trend blends, and basic every-day-for-everybody roasts/blends. Some can be bitter. Some sweet. Some have an odd profile that confounds the tastebuds. Some a complex profile that enchants the senses.

The fixin’s can be tricky. There are so many options for sweeteners and softeners (creamers). I’ve doctored cups up with tons of sugar and cream. I’ve used just sugar-free sweeteners. I’ve used just cream or milk. Often (and currently) I go the for the simplest of approaches. Black.

But, amongst all of this complexity, many of us find a balance of these things to suit us. In our household, we currently love the Kanaloa blend from Gold Coffee. We originally came across this brand/blend in Costco and tried it because it was so economical. Then…it disappeared from the shelves! (Yikes!) We tried a couple of others, but we missed this beautiful gold-bag-of-a-blend. Now we go straight to the source and buy it directly. That’s true consumer love, there. (Not sponsored or affiliated. Just a fan!)

Storytime

I come from a family of coffee drinkers. By the time I hit double digits (early tweens) I was quite capable of making a good pot of coffee. Although I loved the ritual of making coffee, I had no desire to drink it. It scalded my mouth and left fur on my teeth. For many years, I just loved the making of it. Which, of course, my family quite approved of.

During a winter visit to my grandparents in central Indiana (USA), I took our family dog for a walk. And got lost. I spent a good bit of time out in the bitter cold, snow and ice all about, before I finally found my way back to their house. Brrrrrr! I was bundled up properly thanks to my amazing grandmother, but I was in no way accustomed to that type of weather.

As I set there shivering, my grandfather poured me a cup of coffee and sat it in front of me.

I protested, as I had done for years, and pushed the cup back towards him.

He gently nudged the beverage back towards me, simply saying “Trust me.”

I remembered all the times he had told me that coffee was magic. It could warm you up in the winter, and cool you down in the summer. I could certainly use a bit of that winter-warm-up magic. So I gave in.

Liquid fire flooded down my throat, coated my belly, flooded out through my extremities like a sweet, molten lava. Maybe my tastebuds were frozen, but I didn’t register any bitterness. It was like being wrapped up in a stack of hot, steamy towels…but from the inside.

Sold. Lifetime fan initiated.

Bunches of love,
Mimi Whimsy

Your thoughts?

Do you have a great story about how you found a love for coffee? Or maybe when you realized you would never have a love for coffee?

I’d love to hear about it!

Inspiration

This article and its hero image (love that name) were inspired by the fun and cozy book, Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. (My reflections on the book.)

I am not a designer by trade, nor have I ever played one on TV. (Do folks still say that? Is it now “on Netflix” or “on Hulu”?) But I do love making things!

This design is available on Redbubble and Zazzle in case you’d like to throw some whimsical support to this Mimi and get something tangible that (I hope) brings you joy!