Photo by Ed Gregory
By Archer Hobson-Ritz
From the espresso drinks cultivated in your local coffee shops, to the overworked coffee pot in the office break room, everyone is brewing their own relationship with coffee. Many people cannot imagine starting their day without a steaming cup of coffee. It is, after all, a stimulant, which is why we are brewing pots of coffee in the morning and not lemonade. A newer generation of coffee cultivation is sweeping the nation. Coffee companies are now paying special attention to the beans they source and the methods in which they acquire them- whether that be buying them at market price, fair trade, or direct trade. Roasteries are now refining their methods of roasting the beans.
Coffee expertise appeals to the younger generation, for its affordable luxury. Coffee could be thought of as training ground to learn the fundamentals of connoisseurship. What one tastes in a cup of coffee is defined by what one has experienced in his or her life and tasted before. This is what makes coffee culturally fascinating. Coffee plays out American themes of classism and social dynamics.(Wade) Everybody has their own take on coffee without one type being better than the other; taste is a completely subjective experience.
Beyond the tasting component is the social aspect. Coffee houses provide a place for social gathering. They curate their own unique coffee house feng shui, by often playing acoustic or indie folk music and providing comfortable sitting areas. Coffee shops provide a certain environment that acts as a social lubricant. The cosiness of a nicely lit cafe can be the perfect place to strike up a conversation, or quietly work on that latest blog post.
Wade, Stephen. “The Social Terroir of a Cafe & Roastery.” The Social Terroir of a Cafe & Roastery. Accessed December 7, 2015. http://insight.insightcoffee.com/posts/10583.