There are few more iconic ways to wake up in the morning than to sit down to a classic breakfast of bacon and eggs and mull over a steaming cup of coffee. However with the rise of espresso machines spreading out of Seattle in the 1990s that image is slowly starting to change to incorporate more complex and flavorful coffees than the traditional black brew that we all grew up on. While some might bemoan the ascension of such an exotic and urbanite drink like the espresso, many more people are happily discovering that there is a whole world of coffee outside of the crud being sold at drive-thru windows all over the country.
Let’s start by asking yourself a couple of simple questions: do you grimace when you sip on your coffee in the morning? Do you drink coffee to wake up, or because you like coffee? If you answered yes to the first question, and chose the first option on the following question, then you really need to explore some new drinks. There are plenty of amazing dark roasts out there in the world, but to be honest plain coffee is not always best for everyone and the foreign sounding names and the ridiculous variations in espresso can be intimidating for people who aren’t well versed in coffee lore.
Tomorrow morning when you go to order your coffee do yourself a favor and try something different. Go to the nearest cafe and ask the barista (waiter) to fix you up a cappuccino to give it a try. This is a standard espresso variant that you can use as a launching point to find what suits your taste. Too sweet? Try a straight double shot of espresso or an espresso macchiato (espresso with a small amount of foamed milk). Not sweet enough? Ask for a cafe latte (much more creamy variant) or a cafe mocha, the spawn of a tryst between hot chocolate and a cappuccino. With a little experimentation you will end up with one of the best coffees your taste buds have ever experienced, and you’ll be looking at espresso machines for your own home in no time.