No surprises, I guess, that coffee is a drug. But I don't just mean in the purely chemical sense.
Most days I only have one coffee -- but if I don't have it, I really feel it. Typically it's just that "hanging out for the taste" thing you get, but some days the need is so bad I get a headache.
Somebody once said that "life is too short to drink bad coffee" (I think I saw it on a Bodum mug -- maybe their marketing department made it up, or maybe somebody profound really said it). Well, the thing is, when you only have one coffee a day you want it to be a good one. Okay, so clearly my body, and perhaps my brain, needs the caffeine. But it's not just that: I really enjoy the taste of a cup made by a skilled barista using a good blend. When either of those things is missing -- blend or barista -- it is really disappointing.
So, as for any drug, I have to know my suppliers. If I'm somewhere away from my usual sources, I go on long excursions in search of a good fix. I check out cafes for the brand of coffee in use -- I have my preferred ones and there are lots I will still clear of. I look at the brand and type of espresso machine -- if it's one of those "press one button for a complete cappucino" types it suggests the staff are button-pressers, not baristas. I look at the clientele -- you can usually pick a true coffee lover in any crowd, but if any customers have that knowledge-worker look it's certain they've chosen a good supplier.
Today, I realised there was another level to this coffee-as-a-drug thing: once I score, I'm happy.
On workdays I get my coffee from one trusted source. Once I have that takeaway cup of well-made coffee in my hands, I take a sip, and it's done -- completely satisfied. Most of the time I finish drinking the coffee while walking back to my workplace. I haven't even sat down and savoured it. Sure, I've tasted it, decided whether it's particularly good today or not quite up to scratch. But it's the moment of that first sip that does it all for me. After that, drinking it is an almost unconscious act. In the end the cup goes in the bin and I'm ready for the rest of the day. Most importantly, I'm not hanging out for a coffee for the rest of the day.
That's it: once I've had the hit, I can get through the day like a normal person. Coffee is definitely a drug.
